


The Land Beyond

by WoahThereMatey



Series: Age of Winter [2]
Category: Ikenfell (Video Game)
Genre: Confessing Feelings, F/F, Flashbacks, Gilda TOTALLY doesn't think Maritte is cute, Gilda has the worst pickup lines, Hurt/Comfort, Maritte is a surprisingly good teacher, Maritte is playing hard to get, Nightmares, Rook and Gilda make a good team too, Rook is an avid notetaker, Stories within Stories, and Maritte fires back, asdhjgfahsc, but i fear he will run out if space in that little notebook, come on Gilda get your head in the game, for a witch who knows nothing about magic, it goes exactly as you'd expect, its dangerous to go alone, little witches and wizards, look i tried ok, new island who dis, take a small wizard friend with you, turns out there's a lot outside of Ikenfell, wait Gilda stop staring at her, welcome to headcanon city
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28688016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoahThereMatey/pseuds/WoahThereMatey
Summary: Approximately two months after the Spelltower, Maritte, Rook, and Gilda embark on an expedition to a lesser known island.Just what will they find beyond Ikenfell?
Relationships: Maritte Hildegaard/Gilda Nhatai
Series: Age of Winter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199975
Comments: 23
Kudos: 9





	1. The Journey

**Author's Note:**

> here we go again
> 
> This is the second part of the series, Age of Winter. I have tried to write this in a way so that you do not have to read the previous fic in order to understand what is going on, all it will do is add a bit of context. Just bare in mind there's a fair few headcanons and original characters. Some things are explained in the previous fic.  
> If you would just like the read this by itself, go ahead! Otherwise, click "Previous work" to get started.
> 
> By the way I just want to stress this, this takes place in between the postgame and the epilogue. This is not the one that only Rook and Gilda go on together. This one is entirely different.
> 
> Anyway, with this one I wanted to try my hand at coming up with my own areas instead of sticking around Ikenfell, and I guess this gives me a chance to lay down some more of my headcanons.
> 
> Enjoy!

Since Safina’s departure from Ikenfell and since Maritte had declared, with a bit of persuasion from Rook and Gilda, that she would become a student in the next term, she had taken over Safina’s room. It had sort of become her new home. It’s not like there was really anything left for her where she came from, anyway.

But today was an exciting day.

There was a knock on her door.

“Come in!”

The door creaked open, revealing Rook and Gilda. They both wore backpacks and were both appropriately dressed for the now noticeably colder weather.

“Oh, are we leaving already?”  
  
Rook nodded. “Whenever you’re ready. Ima will see us off at the gate. Ze gave me a map which will tell us where to go.”

Gilda grinned. “This is gonna be so much fun! Exploring exciting new… DANGEROUS..!-”  
  
Maritte laughed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “I don’t think we will be going anywhere dangerous, Gilda.”   
  
She pouted, crossing her arms. “Aw booo! What’s the fun in that?”   
  
Maritte took one last look around the room. It didn’t seem like she was forgetting anything, so it was time to leave. “Let’s go.”

The group exited the dorm, instantly being hit by the cold air. Rook and Gilda visibly shivered, but Maritte barely noticed.

“H-how are you not c-cold?” Rook shivered.

A valid question. Maritte only had her usual bandana, along with a recently acquired tank top and shorts. “Fire witch.” She said simply.

Rook huffed. “W-well could you maybe h-help us out then?”  
  
Maritte still didn’t really know how her magic worked, or why it seemed to keep her warm, but some floating fireballs would work, perhaps?

She nodded, summoning a pair. They floated next to Rook and Gilda respectively. They were pleasantly warm and not burning hot, as one would expect. They both visibly relaxed.

Bingo.

Maritte smiled, and the group pressed on to the gate, where Ima was waiting.

Ima was dressed in a heavy yellow coat and pants, reminiscent of zir usual attire. Ze waved as they approached.

“Okay, are you three ready to go?”  
  
They all nodded in unison.

Ima smiled. “Great!”  
  
“This is so exciting! I can’t wait to hear about what you see out there. Strangely, we have very little on record about what’s gone on outside of our region besides a likely outdated map…”   
  
Rook replied, “Don’t worry, I intend to make a detailed report of our findings. We’ll even see if we can bring back anything of use.”   
  
Ima waved a hand over the gate. “Thanks, Rook. I’m sure you will. Have fun on your trip!”   
  
They said their goodbyes and stepped through the gate.

They wasted no time in proceeding down the path. “So, where are we headed?” Maritte asked.

Rook was already looking at the map. He held up his hand to stop and gestured for them to gather around and have a look.

He pointed at the dot. “We are here.” He then traced their finger along the line until there was a slash through it, marking the pathway they were heading to. “This path will lead us to the port.”  
  
Maritte nodded. “Oh! Are we heading to the South?”

Rook followed the dotted line which went from the ocean to… “Why yes, yes we are.”  
  
“I went on vacation there once a few years back… believe it was to the very place we are going! I wonder if it’s as I remember…”   
  
Rook rolled up the map and held it out towards Maritte. “How about you be our guide? You know the place better than either of us, I’m sure. I’ve never been there, have you, Gilda?”

Gilda shook her head. “No… never have actually stepped foot outside this region.”  
  
Maritte took the map, sticking it into her pocket. “I think you two will like it. Now, let’s get going.”   
  
And with that they started walking towards the path which would eventually lead them to the port. Thankfully, it was only a few miles away. They could make it there before sundown pretty easily, with stops included.

* * *

About an hour had passed, so they decided to rest.

It had gotten slightly warmer in this time, to Rook and Gilda’s relief.

“You said you’ve been to the south before. Do you remember where specifically?” Rook asked.

Maritte hummed. “I think… I don’t remember the name but it was a massive city. There was tons of stuff to do!”

Maritte looked like she remembered something. “Ah, yes! At the time I went there, there was some kind of big festival. I don’t remember what it was about or what the theme of it was, but I remember it created quite the headache when simply trying to go from place to place.”

Maritte, now curious, unfurled the map and looked to where the boat at the port would lead them.

Wait, THAT place?

“Oh! That’s what it is! Adevo City. Now THAT sounds familiar!” 

While Gilda pondered the city’s name and what it actually meant, Rook looked intrigued. “Oh, I’ve heard about that place! One of the most advanced cities in the world, supposedly. Guess we’ll see if those claims are actually true.”  
  
Maritte nodded. “I recall it being very expensive… it wasn’t a very long vacation by any means. Though we didn’t have gold back then.”   
  
Gilda went wide eyed. “Ooh! You mean we’re not just passing through!?”   
  
Rook tapped their finger on the map. “Well, that’s not our final destination, but there’s no true deadline other than how long our supplies last us.”

Maritte read out the next destination. “Lotus Isles… now that’s a place I’ve never heard of. Guess that’s why we’re going there?”

Rook surprisingly didn’t know of the place either. “Maybe… not even I know anything about that place, and I’ve read practically every book in the library at this point! Guess they were short on material for that particular place.”

Gilda jumped up, pumping her fist. “Alright! Mystery island! I’m pumped!”  
  
Maritte was really enjoying Gilda’s enthusiasm. Rook seemed to get a kick out of it too, though perhaps he was more used to it than she was.

She got up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder again.

“Alright, let’s keep moving to the port. The boat is supposed to leave in a few hours from now, so we should be able to make it in plenty of time.”

* * *

About an hour had passed. They were nearing the port, but still had a short way left to go yet.

Maritte decided to begin the conversation. “So… Rook. Have you heard from Nel?”

Rook smiled. “Yeah. They’ve been writing to me whenever they could manage. Actually, they were the one to suggest going on this trip to begin with.”  
  
Maritte was surprised. “Oh?”   
  
Rook explained, “While it is true that working for the Coven gives you much more supplies and equipment, there’s some resources that just cannot be found both at their home base and various outposts around the globe. They found a location of interest that may have a few things that could possibly be key to unlocking new potential in alchemy…”   
  
“I’m no alchemist, but it seems important.”   
  
Maritte grinned. “Ah, that makes sense. Tell them I said hi!”   
  
Gilda, not wanting to be left out, said, “Me too!”

Rook laughed. “Alright, alright. Will do.”  
  
He took out the notepad he took along, and began writing.

They fell into silence after that. Slightly uncomfortable silence.

Gilda was trying (and failing) to keep herself from staring at Maritte. Why of all days did she choose to wear that!?

Maritte caught her looking, and did a fake flex with her arm. Gilda looked away, her face bright red.

Oh now that is just unfair!

She caught a break though, because they could see the port ahead.

“Look!” Gilda pointed.

Rook looked up from his notepad. “Ah, we’re here. I thought it’d take longer, honestly.”  
  
Maritte took off her backpack, now opting to carry it. She stretched. “A good long rest sounds great right about now. Plus I’m curious to see how the city has changed!”   
  
They headed towards the port, their next destination: Adevo City.

* * *

The trip took a few hours, but sure enough they eventually arrived at Adevo’s port, with the city immediately coming into view as soon as the three stepped outside.

“Wow…” Gilda breathed.

“It’s even nicer than I remembered!” Maritte commented.

Rook, true to their word, was already writing stuff down.

The city was lit up in a variety of colors, buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. Many of them reached high up, something that was not common in their region.

The colors and lights were made all the more dazzling by the fact the sun had already set at this point, making their colors really pop.

Still, that meant they had to find a place to stay for the night.

Rook spoke up. “We can sightsee later, but we need to find a place to stay first.”  
  
Maritte nodded. “Right. I’m sure there’s some sort of hotel somewhere around here…”   
  
The three entered the city, searching for a place to stay.   
  
It was truly unfortunate they wouldn’t be here for too long, because it felt like there was so much to explore. Maritte didn’t quite find the area she originally stayed when she was here a few years prior, but she was considering looking around after they found a place to stay.

They eventually happened upon a large, towering building, that simply said “HOTEL” on it, located on a bright sign.

“Huh. Straightforward.” Maritte commented.

The group wandered inside. It was truly a sight to behold. It wasn’t laid out like a conventional building, as in there was no ceiling in the center. You could see all the way up to the top floor, each individual floor being circular in shape from the lobby. In the center, there was a massive staircase. At the center there was a tall pillar of light which kept the stairway lit at all times.

There were also four different elevators, something that only Maritte had seen and used once before, those were tucked into the corners of the lobby.

They walked up to the desk, being greeted by the clerk. “Hello, travelers! Don’t suppose you need a place to stay?”  
  
Maritte nodded. “As a matter of fact, we do. Do you accept gold?”

The clerk was taken aback by the question. “Come again?”  
  
Maritte placed a gold coin on the counter.

The clerk at the desk didn’t know what to do. “U-um, yes, of course! I uh…”  
  
“Um… h-here, let me lead you three to your room.”

The clerk led them to the nearest elevator, and pressed the button to take them to the top floor.

The doors opened, and they were met with one, fairly large lone door.  
  
The clerk led them to the door. “This is the master suite. It has its own balcony, individual bedrooms, and, well... I’d best let you explore the rest yourself.”   
  
The clerk held out the key. “This is the key to your room. When you’re ready to leave, just return it to the front desk.”   
  
Maritte was certainly not expecting a room of this caliber. “Oh, r-really? Thank you!”   
  
“My pleasure. Now then, enjoy your stay. Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any further questions or require assistance.” The clerk took the elevator back down to the ground floor.

Rook hummed. “Interesting. Very interesting. I guess this place doesn’t use gold for currency like us. Wonder why?”

Gilda was practically jumping. “I wanna see what’s inside!”  
  
Maritte chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Alright. Let’s see.”   
  
She took the key and inserted it into the door, turning it. They opened the door, revealing what was within.

The room was a wide, expansive place full of things that they hadn’t seen before. A large screen was front and center, with a couch in front of it. To the side there was a full kitchen complete with a refrigerator and oven. There even looked to be a spa in one of the corners.

The three bedrooms were all next to each other. Each bedroom had a large, soft bed, and also had smaller screens inside, with a dresser underneath.

“You know… I think exploring can wait.” Maritte said.

* * *

About an hour had passed since they had first entered the room. Maritte was familiar with some things, but unfamiliar with others. Some seemed redundant now, like the oven, since she could just cook with fire magic. And she remembered that in her past it was either done with actual fire or with a much more… primitive looking version of this.

She supposed not all of it was necessary given that magic can help fill in the gaps, but she also supposed that the population here is mostly ordinaries. It was pretty fascinating to see the differences between here, her homeland, and Ikenfell.

Still, she remembered everything being a lot less…

She didn’t know a good term to use. Complex, perhaps? Like this screen in front of her. Even after seeing one a second time she still didn’t truly know how it worked.  
  
It was a total field day for Rook, they had so many things to take notes on and even sketch. As for Gilda, she had taken to emptying the fridge of every drink that was inside, which was mostly just the caffeinated beverages.

But it was getting late, and they had to leave at some point tomorrow to go to where they needed to be.

"Alright, I’m getting tired. You two have fun, I’m going to bed.” Maritte said.

Rook nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I think I will, too.”  
  
As Maritte and Rook headed to their respective bedrooms, Gilda disagreed. “You kidding? It’s not even that late yet! And there’s a chance we may never return here after we leave tomorrow!”

Maritte hesitated. “Well…”  
  
Rook shook their head. “There’s still tomorrow. Besides, I won’t be able to think straight if I’m half asleep. Night.” He entered his room, closing the door.

Maritte relented. “Alright. Guess I’ll stay up a bit longer.”

Gilda cheered. “That’s what I like to hear!”

…

  
Most of the time was spent watching TV. Gilda was really into this one anime that she found on there. Maritte wasn’t particularly into it but decided to remain anyway. She mostly just enjoyed seeing how passionate Gilda was about it.

Eventually they both got up from the couch and entered the balcony, gazing at the sights below. It really was a pretty sight from up there. It looked like the city went on forever.

“Wow, it looks beautiful from up here.” Maritte breathed.

"Yeah… just like you.” Gilda commented.

Maritte was about to nod in agreement, then quickly looked over at Gilda, making sure she heard that right. “Wait, what?”  
  
Gilda, realizing what she said, blushed intensely. “I-I MEAN… um…”   
  
Gilda awkwardly coughed. “I mean… uh... yeah! It really is!” She awkwardly scuffed her foot on the ground, hands behind her back.

Maritte smiled. “W-well, I think it’s about time I head to sleep now. Goodnight, Gilda.”  
  
She began to leave the balcony. “W-Wait!”

Maritte spun around, looking at Gilda expectantly.

Gilda looked down, face still red. “I, uh… ummm… you know what? N-nevermind.”

Maritte left the balcony, entering her room and closing the door.

Gilda turned her attention back to the view, angrily muttering to herself.

* * *

It was now morning, and Rook was the first one awake. Since this was the case, he took it upon himself to begin planning the day out. Ideally they’d all arrive at the other place today, so-

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Gilda, who was passed out next to the fridge. To their right was a pile of what looked like soda cans, with one still in her hand. He chuckled to himself. “Looks like someone partied a little too hard.”  
  
Maritte also was now awake, and also saw what Rook had just seen. She snickered. “So does she just always do this, or…”

Maritte recalled a time a few months ago where Gilda was just passed out dangerously close to a fireplace. This time, thankfully, it was just a fridge.  
  
Rook nodded. “Yeah, sometimes. There are times where she’s just, so full of energy. Doesn’t want to sleep. Inevitably though she completely crashes and just ends up like this.” He said, pointing to her position on the floor.

He picked up one of the cans that was on the floor, giving it a look over.  
  
“Yeah, this would do it.”   
  
Maritte laughed. “So, I guess we’re heading to that island today, huh?”

Rook nodded. “Yeah. I’m genuinely curious what we will find there. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about that place until now. It’s anyone’s guess what we’ll find!”  
  
Maritte glanced outside. “Me too… but not before exploring this city a bit, right?”   
  
“Yeah.” Rook replied. “I’ve already got a few theories regarding the differences to here and Ikenfell.”

Maritte looked over at Rook. “Oh yeah?”  
  
Rook began, “Yeah… I think it all comes down to there being little to no magic here versus an abundance of magic at Ikenfell. Like… assuming that this place is mostly made up of ordinaries, I think that they must’ve found different ways to live their day to day lives and make them easier. Like much of the stuff in here could more or less be accomplished by magic, or be created by it.”

Maritte hummed. “It wasn’t quite like this where I was from though… guess this place is bleeding edge compared to most?”  
  
Rook nodded. “Right. I guess it’s not called the ‘most advanced city’ for nothing.”   
  
Then, Maritte and Rook heard the rolling of cans on the floor. Looks like Gilda was awake.

“Mmmmm…” Gilda groaned.

She took a look around, rising from her position on the floor. Then she looked at all the cans strewn across the floor. “Oh…”

Maritte got up. “Well, as soon as we’re all ready we can go have a look around and start making our way towards the docks that will take us to our final destination.”  
  
Rook gave her a thumbs up, and Gilda made some sort of sound of confirmation as she worked to clean up the mess on the floor she had made.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, they were off. Maritte returned the key to the front desk, and left the hotel building.

They took a look around. They could really go anywhere.

Gilda started pointing. “Look, over there!”

Maritte and Rook looked in the direction she was pointing. There was… a very large amount of people gathered ahead. Looked like some sort of stage?

Say… whoever was on that stage looked awfully familiar.

Before either of them could comment, Gilda was already on her way to go watch whatever was going on in front of them.

They followed, wondering what it could be.

As they got closer, Maritte stopped. That voice..!

Rook looked back at her. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Maritte’s eyes darted forward, not seeming to hear Rook’s question. “Perty..?”   
  
Rook’s eyes went wide. “Wait, do you think…”   
  
The two hurried forward, getting in closer. They had caught up to Gilda now.

It sure looked a lot like her. The blue dress, the hair...

The scar.

It really was her! Is… is this what she’s been doing all this time?  
  
Maritte let herself just listen. Listen to her voice, listen to the tone of the piano, all beautifully weaving together in harmony to create a work of art.

She felt a tear run down her face.

It was beautiful. She had an idea of what she could do, yes, but to actually see and hear it for herself…

It came to an end, however, the crowd cheering.

Maritte stepped away to let herself think for a moment.

She understands now. She must’ve left to take a mental break… and mental break that was in the form of just doing what she loved. Doing what she couldn’t before.

And by Wala, was she good at it!

She was happy for her. And now, she knew she was alive and well. That’s one less thing to worry about, she supposed.

Rook and Gilda caught up with her. Rook looked concerned. “You alright, Maritte?”  
  
Maritte slowly nodded. “Y-yeah. It’s just… it’s been awhile.”   
  
“I hear you. It has been for me too, for all us. She looked like she was really having fun up there, though.”   
  
“I know, right!? She’s really good!” Gilda gushed.

Maritte smiled. “Yeah…”

She took one last look over at the stage, where the crowd was beginning to disperse. Pertisia was now leaving.

Maritte really did want to talk to her, but she hesitated. She had just thought about the implications of her leaving.

Perhaps she needed some more time. Besides, she at least now had a rough idea where to look.

She sighed. They had an island to go explore, anyway. “Alright then, let’s go. We’ve got a boat to catch.”  
  
Gilda whined. “Already!? But I thought we were going to explore the city…”   
  
Maritte shook her head. “We’ll pass back through here again on the way back.”   
  
Rook nodded. “I agree with Maritte. I personally would like to see a few things for myself before the sun goes down again.”

Gilda pouted. “Fine… but I’m holding you to it!”  
  
The group left for the docks, saying their goodbyes to the city.

The real journey starts here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the journey truly begins.
> 
> By the way, that "recently acquired tank top" is actually the "Power Tank" item from the game!
> 
> I'm trying out something new. I'm going to aim for fewer and longer chapters from now on. I want to be able to hit that sweet spot in chapter length. I personally feel like the chapters in my previous stories were a bit short, so we'll see how I adapt to this new way.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!


	2. A Fire in their Hearts

The group finally arrived at their final destination: Lotus Isles. To them, it was shrouded in mystery. Just what kind of secrets did this place hold? What could waiting to be found?

The first thing they noticed was the notably warmer temperature. In fact, it felt similar to how summer used to feel in Ikenfell. It wasn’t an overwhelming heat, but rather a pleasant warmth, a welcome change from what had begun at Ikenfell and also the city they came from. The second thing was the sheer amount of plant life present. Some looked familiar, but others were unlike anything any of them had seen before. There were so many colors and scents, so much so that it was almost overwhelming.

“Oh wow… I mean I don’t know what I expected given this place is literally named after a flower but just… look at it!” Rook quickly began writing everything down.

Maritte walked over to an unfamiliar looking plant. It was a bright orange, and it almost seemed to glow. It looked like something akin to a flytrap, but more bulbous in shape, and didn’t appear to have any teeth. Additionally, its ‘mouth’, if you could call it that, was wide open.

“This place is so strange. What is this thing?” Maritte said as she continued looking at this strange plant.

Gilda had other things on her mind, though. “Hey! I see a path up here! We should go this way!” Gilda called from up ahead, waving her arms.

Maritte and Rook were in agreement. They needed to find a decent place to set up camp anyway. They only had a few hours of daylight left.

The pathway seemed quite overgrown, the path itself not very well worn. Clearly this place didn’t have much in the way of visitors.  
  
“This place is so strangely… empty. By that I mean, where IS everyone? Surely there’s gotta be someone around here.” Maritte wondered.

Rook hummed. “There are a few places on this world that haven’t been discovered or inhabited even to this day. This being one of them… I intend to find out perhaps why that is.”  
  
The three walked in silence for a few minutes, before the path suddenly opened up to some vast, wide open plains.

The grass was tall and thick. Beautiful flowers peeked out over the grass blades, with the occasional tree standing tall. There was additionally massive forest a ways ahead, in view. To the right the land seemed to stretch on for quite awhile, certainly farther than what could be seen.

And to the left was…

“Hang on… do I see houses over there?” Maritte squinted, aiming to confirm her suspicions.

Rook walked forward. “Interesting. I didn’t expect there to be much in the way of civilization here. Not so close, at least.”  
  
Gilda ran after Rook. “Come on, Maritte! Let’s go see what’s up!”

Maritte nodded, making her way towards what appeared to be a small village.

…

Upon closer inspection, the houses seemed more like small huts. There were about seven in total. Maritte noticed a banner at the front of the village. It had a number of magic runes on it, and she only recognized three of them: fire, lightning, and water.

How peculiar.

Then, as if on queue, she heard… something.

It sounded like it came from just ahead.

She slowly moved forward, two children coming into view. Not only that, but it actually looks like they were using magic?

They looked about the same age. The key separator being one was wielding fire magic, and the other was using a type of magic she hadn’t seen before. She couldn’t really describe it.

One of them noticed her. “Visitor!”

The little pyromancer ran over to her, holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Tor! Who are you?”

Maritte shook his hand. “I’m Maritte, nice to meet you.” She withdrew her hand, looking over at the other young witch who was awkwardly standing off to the side.  
  
“And who is-” Maritte started. She stopped when she noticed that they were backing away from her. Were they… scared of her?

Tor scratched the back of his head. “Oh, that over there is Viki. They’re a little shy… but they’ll come around, I’m sure.”

Rook and Gilda had caught up to Maritte during this time. Rook certainly didn’t expect to actually find anyone here, assuming it was abandoned.  
  
“Ah, there you are. Say… who are these two?”

Tor held out his hand. “Tor, nice to meet you!”  
  
Rook shook his hand. “Likewise. I’m Rook.”  
  
“Say… where is everyone else?”  
  
Tor pointed towards the big forest they saw earlier. “They went hunting. We can’t go with them because it’s ToO dAnGeRoUs!” Tor whined, muttering under his breath.

Gilda grinned. “I like this kid already!”

Viki, still standing a decent distance away from Tor and the others, silently looked towards the forest. They shuddered.

Tor had taken notice of this. “Viki, they’ll be fine. I promise! This isn’t the first time they’ve gone out for awhile.”

Maritte was concerned. “I mean, they have a point. It is getting a little late…”

Tor huffed. “They’re fine, really! They’ve done this into the night before.”

Gilda was curious about something else. “Say, I saw that banner coming in here. Does that mean..?”  
  
Tor summoned a fireball in his palm. “Does that answer your question?”

Gilda went wide eyed. “Ohmigosh you too!?” Gilda nodded her head towards Maritte. “She has fire magic as well!”  
  
Tor looked over to Maritte for confirmation, and, lo and behold, a fireball was summoned. “Ah, a fellow pyromancer! Nice! I didn’t think there was that many of us…”

Maritte once again found her eyes drifting over to Viki, who had their back turned. “What kind of magic do they have?”  
  
Tor looked over at Viki. “Hey, Viki!”  
  
Viki slowly turned around.

Tor ignited a second fireball. “Show them your magic!”

“...okay.” they muttered.

Viki closed their eyes. The wind seemed to get notably harsher. Then, raising both arms above their head, they summoned what looked like a small tornado.

Tor, prepared for this, conjured a wall of fire to defend himself.

Viki tossed it towards the wall of fire. Upon impact, the fire dissipated, the tornado disappearing with a _whoosh_ , causing Tor to stagger slightly. The wind calmed back down again.

“Wind magic.” They said simply.

Rook was very surprised to see this. There weren’t many records of any wind witches and/or wizards. It’s arguably the most mysterious of the elemental magics. Certainly one of the most underrated and overlooked. He’d have to document this more if he could.

Gilda was very impressed. “That was so cool!”

Viki’s cheeks flushed in response.

Maritte looked back towards Tor. “Hang on. Tor, could you put up that fire wall again?”  
  
Tor looked a bit confused as to why, but was happy to oblige. “Okay. What for?”  
  
“I think I know why it didn’t hold when the attack hit it.”  
  
Tor sighed. “Because I wasn’t giving it my all! It was a demonstration of their magic, not mine.”  
  
Maritte hummed. “We’ll see.” She signalled for Gilda to stand opposite to him.  
  
“Gilda, strike that wall with an attack.”  
  
Gilda grinned. “On it!” Electricity crackled in her fist. In a punching motion, she released a bolt from her fist. It struck the wall, the flames fizzling out immediately. Tor grunted in response.

It had stopped the bolt, but it had an impact on the caster of the wall this time.

“Wait… why didn’t that hold?” Tor could hardly believe it.

Rook decided to answer his question. He had seen this before. “You’re casting that defensive spell as an offensive spell.”  
  
Tor furrowed his brows. “What?”  
  
Rook continued to explain. “The reason why it failed the moment it was hit is because that bolt treated that wall as a projectile, as if it was just a simple, albeit strangely shaped fireball. If Gilda had hit it herself she would’ve taken damage. A wall, correctly cast, would not damage the opponent. It should be able to take, at the absolute least, two hits before failing.”  
  
Something ticked in Tor’s head. “Ohhhhh.”  
  
“I could teach you a thing or two but Maritte literally has fire magic, so I believe she will be more helpful than I.” Rook gestured towards Maritte, who seemed taken aback by the idea.

“Me? But I literally got my magic like two months ago.”

Rook chuckled. “Even so, you managed to hold your own in some tough fights. Besides, elemental magic is not my forte. I only know a lot of the magic of yesteryear, and my own, along with the fundamentals. You actually have their magic. Wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?”  
  
Maritte smiled. “Guess not. Sounds like fun!”

Rook had gone over to join Gilda, who had begun talking with Viki. Turns out Viki took great interest in Gilda’s lightning magic.

Today just got far, far more interesting.

* * *

Maritte was having a lot of fun helping Tor get stronger. Tor was a fast learner, sure, but Maritte seemed to be a natural teacher.  
  
It only took half an hour for Tor, with Maritte’s guidance, to properly manifest a shield.

“Alright, now, summon your shield.”  
  
Tor, with both arms stretched forward, summoned a large wall of fire, similar to the others that came before it. This one was different, however, in that it seemed to burn brighter than before. Not to mention, it had grown in scale and now possessed some level of curvature to it, more adequately protecting the caster.

Maritte immediately summoned a series of fireballs towards the wall, which flew towards it at a blinding speed. Five in total battered against the surface of the wall, causing it to ripple on impact. But, the wall of fire held true, the caster unharmed.

“Nice work!” Maritte cheered.

Tor beamed. He could now successfully summon a shield! A vital part of a witch or wizard’s safety in a real battle.

Maritte walked towards Tor, who still had much to learn. “Now, you’re really gonna love this next one…”  
  
…

Gilda, for lack of a better word, was quite simply awestruck by Viki’s sheer aptitude with their magic. They even gave Gilda a run for her money!  
  
However, they seemed to expend a lot of energy on each spell, be it defensive or offensive. Even though this might have meant their spells were extremely powerful, it was an inefficient use of energy. And, in the event of a real fight, that could prove dangerous if the initial spells aren’t enough to defeat the enemy.

Gilda and Rook made an excellent duo. Rook did a good job at putting Gilda’s teachings into words, making them easier to understand, and also getting into the nitty gritty details. Gilda, on the other hand, had become quite good at controlling their power, so they knew how to help Viki in this situation.

The key was not to simply reduce the amount of energy spent for a given spell, its to do that without reducing a spell’s strength so much that it becomes ineffective or outright obsolete. More or less finding the perfect balance. Easier said than done.

“So the way it works is, you have to basically envision the spell in your head. The target, the effect, and most importantly, its power.” Rook pointed to a quick diagram he drew up.

“For an attack, you’re envisioning the scale and the speed, and then you’re focusing that into how much damage you really want to deal. Of course, there’s many more factors to this, and it’s more of a conscious effort initially, but in time it becomes practically second nature to you.”

Rook cleared their throat, continuing their explanation. “For a defensive spell, you’re thinking about the effect, the target, and, if applicable, the duration. Got it?”  
  
Viki slowly nodded.

Rook smiled. “Great. Now, Gilda, launch a smaller, weaker bolt in their direction. Viki, try to determine how to react to it, and what you need to counter it.”  
  
Gilda began charging the bolt. “Ready?”  
  
Viki nodded once more, preparing to summon a spell to counter it.

Gilda released the bolt from her palm. It raced towards Viki quickly, but Viki already knew how to counter. Instead of a shield, they opted to overpower the bolt and hit the target that way.

This blade of wind, which manifested itself in the way of a white, transparent arc, tore through the bolt. It even seemed to pick up some of its energy, sparking as it zipped towards Gilda.

Gilda was caught off guard by this, being struck by the blade of wind.

Viki put their hands up to their mouth. “I-I’m sorry!”  
  
Gilda grinned. “You kidding? That was AWESOME!”  
  
Rook nodded in agreement. “Yes, that was very clever. You’d normally use a shield to negate damage but countering with another attack will certainly catch them off guard. Not to mention the added benefit of deflecting some of the other attack back towards the sender…”  
  
Viki smiled. “Oh! Um… thanks!”

Then, they heard the sound of rocks crashing into the ground behind them.  
  
The source of the noise was Tor, who had the biggest smile on his face. Looks like Maritte just taught him how to summon mini meteors. Even Gilda had to admit she was jealous she didn’t have an attack that cool.

Rook came up with an idea. “Hey, what if you four had a duel?”

Maritte looked confused. “Wait, us _four?”_

Rook nodded. “Yeah, you’ve all been training, what if you have a two versus two duel to see who makes the best duo? Plus I’d like to confirm a theory I have about magic synergy.”  
  
Gilda, to the surprise of no one, was very on board with this. “Aw yeah! We’ll show ‘em, won’t we, Viki?”  
  
Viki awkwardly smiled, unsure how to feel about this.

Maritte and Tor nodded towards eachother.  
  
Maritte grinned, confident. “You’re on!”

Tor shared the same sentiment as Maritte, preparing himself.

Rook grinned. “Then we’re in agreement. May the best duo win!”  
  


* * *

And so the duel began. Gilda and Viki versus Maritte and Tor. Lightning and Wind versus Fire and Fire.

Viki was first to go. Their first spell picked up the winds considerably. The winds blew hard in Maritte and Tor’s direction.

Tor responded by tossing over a large fireball, only to be surprised by how slow it travelled. The wind was slowing it down considerably. Viki was able to easily sidestep it before it fizzled out, not even needing to use a shield to block it.

Seeing as their raw strength alone wouldn’t be enough, Maritte laid down a few small magic fields on her side which empowered anyone who stood in them.

Gilda was quick to capitalize on this by teleporting into one of the fields, catching Maritte off guard. Before she could react, she was hit by a shockwave, sending her reeling. Tor responded by whacking Gilda with a fiery hammer, sending her back over towards Viki, who she collided with.

Viki decided to play it safe and send out a few wind blades. A few managed to graze Maritte, but Tor avoided them all. Then, Maritte unleashed a flurry of fireballs, but Viki deflected them with a strong gust of wind, sending them back to the sender.

Tor and Maritte worked together to summon a wall of fire, far more substantial than it would’ve been with a single caster. It actually just ate the fireballs, allowing them to transform it into one large one, and toss it back over.

Gilda attempted to knock it off course with a bolt from above, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. It crashed down on them, dealing considerable damage.

Gilda nodded towards Viki.  
  
Viki understood, and unleashed a new spell that nobody had ever seen before.

Dark clouds formed overhead. It had begun to pour down rain, and thunder crackled in the sky.

“So I was right…” Rook gasped.

Maritte and Tor once again summoned a wall of fire, but it was much weaker than before. It almost seemed to flicker, clearly seeming to struggle against the element of rain being introduced.

Viki summoned a huge vortex of wind, sending it hurling towards Maritte and Tor.

It ripped right through the shield, hoisting them into the air and throwing them apart.

Gilda then pelted the field with bolts that descended from the clouds above, seeming to do more damage than before.

The storm raged, Tor and Maritte unsure of how to proceed. It seemed as if they’d been backed into a corner.

Or so they thought.

Maritte, with the strength she had left, decided to take a few hits trying to return to Tor.

She managed to hang on, and thus they began to work together to create a powerful spell of their own.

The rain, and with it, the storm clouds, faded. Harsh, hot sunlight took its place, beating down on the field.

And so, the decisive final attack would be summoned. With Maritte and Tor standing in the magic fields, they brought down an onslaught of massive fireballs towards Viki and Gilda.

They attempted to counter it, but the fireballs burned bright, unrelenting, not seeming to care about the attacks sent towards them. Just before impact, they fizzled out, as intended by the casters.  
  
They had won the duel, the harsh sunlight fading back to more reasonable levels once again.

“We did it!” Maritte exclaimed. Maritte and Tor high fived.

“Alright, I’m convinced anime is real.” Gilda said.

She smiled towards Viki. “You put up a real fight. Nice work, Viki!”

Their face flushed. “T-thank you!”

Rook clapped. “That was phenomenal! I had some theories, but I didn’t know they’d be true!”  
  
Maritte was curious. “Magic synergy?”  
  
Rook quickly nodded. “Yes, yes. I’m… unsure of how it works for more traditional magic, but with elemental magic, if two or more users are able, they can combine their strength and, in turn, their magic to either further empower it or even create a powerful hybrid type, like Viki and Gilda demonstrated by combining the power of Lightning and Wind to create Storm magic. Whereas you and Tor created a much stronger, harsher version of Fire.”

Gilda beamed. “Teamwork is the coolest!”  
  
Maritte laughed. “You said it!”  
  
But, it looked as if the sun was beginning to go down, and they needed a place to rest.

“Hey, your folks wouldn’t mind if we camped out next to this village, would they?” Maritte asked, looking around the area. The rest of the village’s population still had yet to return, to Viki’s dismay.

Tor shook his head. “Nope, go on ahead!”  
  
Maritte gave him a thumbs up, and gestured for the others to follow.

* * *

They set up a camp a few hundred feet from the edge of the village, the sun no longer in the sky by the time they had set up camp and taken some time to relax.

“I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t expect to meet another pyromancer today. Or, um… do a team attack like that.” Maritte said, her attention up to the stars.

“I know! I’m kind of bummed I didn’t find another lightning witch, but obviously it seems wind witches work just as well together!” Gilda beamed, still quite proud of that storm she and Viki whipped up earlier.

Rook was going over their abundance of notes he’d taken today. He might actually run out of space in his notebook at this rate. “Maritte, have you ever considered becoming a teacher at the school?”  
  
Maritte was taken off guard by that question. “But I haven’t even done one term there yet. Also isn’t there other requirements?”  
  
Rook shook their head. “Not now, I meant in the future. Just saying, you really brought out that kid’s potential. They couldn’t summon a shield correctly before but now they’re a genuinely formidable opponent in combat!”

Maritte chuckled. “Well, I did have a lot of fun today. Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it!”  
  
Gilda just thought of something she had forgotten to mention earlier. “Oh, did you see that giant forest from earlier?”  
  
Rook looked up from their notebook. “Yes, why?”  
  
“We should explore it! See what’s inside of it! I’m telling you, there’s gotta be something up with that forest!” Gilda excitedly elaborated.

Maritte hummed. “Hmmm, maybe you’re right? Besides, might be some stuff in there we haven’t found yet. That’s why we’re here, right?”  
  
Rook nodded, shutting their notebook. “Agreed. Now then, how about we get some rest? We’re gonna need it.”  
  
The group (even Gilda) agreed, heading off to sleep.

  
  


Tomorrow is going to be quite the adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the new characters! They're intended to be the two in that shot of the postgame. I suspect they were intended to be met on the way TO the island and also both be pyromancers, but I thought it'd bring an interesting new element to the story.


	3. Into the Unknown

The sun began to creep over the horizon, a new day just beginning.

While both Rook and Gilda were still fast asleep, Maritte had been awake for hours, not getting much rest.

She had been haunted with nightmares throughout. Eventually giving up on attempting to sleep and sitting in a quiet corner of the village, alone with her thoughts. She hadn’t gotten up from her position in nearly an hour, just deep in thought.

Maritte had been thinking about what has been going on these last few months, including these past few days. Everything had changed so much. It was crazy to think that about 3 months ago she was just sitting around at home, bored out of her mind, an ordinary. While her sister was off _supposedly_ having the time of her life.

Oh great, here she goes again.

That one day, the one at the start of Winterage, was and still is hard on her. She had just gotten to know Perty and grew to really sympathize with her, but she was gone by the next day. Safina, who she worked very hard to reunite with, had every intention of just silently stepping away like Pertisia did. And that still really hurt. She didn’t know where she was now. Maritte figured it would be a fool’s errand to look for her again after what happened when she did it herself. If she thought this was the ideal way to solve her problems or whatever was going on, then perhaps it’d be best if she just left her to it, right?

And even though she missed Nel, she was happy to see that they had moved on to become a truly excellent alchemist. Admittedly Maritte hadn’t known them for that long, but learned a great deal in their journey together. She wondered how they were faring now.  
  
Pertisia seemed happy, too. This performing she does seems to really make her happy, and it is just as beautiful in person as it was from that one memory she got to see. Part of her regrets not at least saying hi while she had the chance, but it’s clear she still needs some time to herself. When the time was right, she’d set out to find her. But that time is evidently not now. But maybe one day...

She wanted to think she was getting better since that one day, but she wasn’t so sure. She just didn’t really know how to cope anymore. When would her mind be able to give it a rest?

Maritte shook her head, gazing at the vast forest that was within her view.

All that aside, she was enjoying the trip she was on. It reminded her that she DESPERATELY needed a hobby, literally anything to kill some time. Maybe she ought to work on that when this was all over. What Rook told her the other night did give her some ideas…

“Hey.”  
  
Maritte practically jumped at the voice. “Oh, um… hey.”   
  
It seemed Gilda, for once, was not the last one awake. She sat down next to Maritte.

Truthfully she had been behind her for a few minutes, but grew tired of waiting for Maritte to move or say something. So she had taken it upon herself to see what was going on with her.

“That forest looks cool, huh?” Gilda didn’t show it on the surface, but she was really excited for what lied within. Something about it just emitted this aura of danger. And also mystery.

Maritte didn’t respond. Gilda frowned.

“Alright, you’re bumming me out. What’s wrong?”

Maritte sighed. “It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”

Gilda obviously didn’t buy it. But Maritte wouldn’t budge like this.

However, she had an idea to cheer her up. An idea that she wasn’t sure she liked, and knew she’d definitely embarrass herself with, but for the sake of Maritte not being gloomy for the rest of the day…

Gilda softly exhaled, steeling herself. “H-Hey, Maritte?”

“Mm.”

Gilda smiled, ready to deliver. “Are you a… a fire witch?”  
  
Maritte looked over at Gilda. “Uh-”   
  
Gilda pointed finger guns at her. “Because you are one smoking hot witch!”

Maritte just sat in stunned silence, taken off guard by Gilda’s admittedly terrible pickup line.

The silence was unbearable for Gilda. Her face slowly began turning red in shame.  
  
Oh my gosh that was so stupid why did she think that was going to help idiot IDIOT-

A smile crept on to Maritte’s face. Gilda was relieved, but was unaware that Maritte was about to fire back. “Aw, how kind of you, Gilda. I’d say you look quite striking today, too!”

If Gilda’s face wasn’t red before, it was now. She covered it with her hands and let out a muffled scream into them.

Maritte laughed. “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!”

Gilda had since taken her hands away from her face, and began laughing with Maritte. It seemed that she was blushing a little, too.  
  
Rook had seemed to catch the tail-end of this exchange. “Okay, lovebirds, if you’re done flirting with each other we’ve got a forest to explore, remember?” Rook teased, pointing to the forest ahead.

Maritte hastily got up. “Oh right!”  
  
Gilda huffed. “We are NOT-”   
  
Rook chuckled. “Whatever you say, Flirtmaster.”

Gilda had a feeling she wasn’t gonna live that down. But it was worth it. For her. And indeed, Maritte did seem to be in higher spirits than before, so mission accomplished!

The group had to dismantle their campsite before heading out though, so doing that was first priority.

* * *

Just before they were about to enter the forest, they were approached by Viki and Tor.

“Oh, thank Wala you three are still here. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but…” Tor gestured to the empty village. “Our folks still haven’t returned yet. And now even I’M worried.”  
  
Viki had bags under their eyes. Looks like someone else didn’t get much sleep that night. “The forest is d-dangerous and confusing, b-but I think we can find them if we a-all l-look.”   
  
Rook raised their eyebrows. “Dangerous? How?”   
  
Tor hummed. “There’s a reason we’re not allowed in there. Ever since a couple of months ago, these weird creatures showed up, and there was this… this THING that one of them said they saw walking around at night. Ever since then, too, the forest has become a confusing, dangerous labyrinth. There’s even puzzles now… which is odd.”   
  
Gilda grinned. “Well whoever it is, we’re gonna show them who’s boss and find your people!”   
  
Maritte nodded. “Right. We’ve got no time to waste, then. Let’s go!”   
  


...

Upon entering the forest, it was clear just how vast it was. And, on the surface, it didn’t look out of the ordinary. There was an abundance of trees and plants, and there was even a well worn pathway, presumably where the villagers go to hunt.

"I don’t see what’s so bad about this place.” Rook commented.

Viki shuddered. “Y-you’ll see.”

The group followed the path. It gradually got darker and darker, so much so that Maritte, Tor, and Gilda had to use some magic to help light the way.

The kinds of plant life bore a stark difference to the ones from just a few minutes ago. Everything looked a lot… darker. And that was not just because of the low lighting. It’s like everything looked wilted and dead. Even the grass and the leaves had this dead grey shade to them, and made an audibly different sound when stepped on.

“I don’t like this…” Maritte said.

Rook, taking a look around and taking notes as he went, noticed something. “Interesting. This place reminds me very much of the ruins back at Ikenfell. What with the colors, the atmosphere, appearance, everything. Barring the fog, I guess.”

Maritte nodded, noticing the similarities as well. “You think? That IS odd! I wonder if what caused this is the same thing?”

A crossroads appeared, and thick fog obscured what lied ahead of the three pathways.

“So there’s the fog.” Rook remarked with a sigh.

“Ugh! Is this a puzzle?” Gilda groaned.

Maritte hummed, thinking of the best way to proceed. “I think our only option is to split up into groups and search that way. It’ll take too long to search every path individually.”  
  
Rook shook their head. “But there would still be one path. You, Tor, and Gilda are the only ones that can create light with your magic. Yet there’s five of us.”   
  
Maritte equipped her wand, her new wand of choice since the spelltower. “I’m going alone. You and Tor can go together, while Gilda and Viki can go a different path.”

Rook and Gilda looked like they wanted to argue with her, but couldn’t deny that it might be the only way to most efficiently proceed. Viki also shared the sentiment of it being a bad idea. But Tor disagreed. “I might not have known her as long as you two have.” he said while pointing to Gilda and Rook. “However, in the short time I have known her and fought alongside her, she’s really tough! I think she’ll be fine.” He finished with a grin.

Maritte smiled back, silently thanking him.

It was settled, then. Maritte would walk the path ahead alone, while the rest would pair up and search the other two paths in hopes of finding their folks. It was unclear if this place had any clear exits except for where they entered, so there was no true rendezvous point. They just had to hope for the best.

* * *

Rook and Tor decided to choose the path to the right. The fog was thick and unyielding, but they could both see just enough to make out a way through, thanks to Tor’s fire.

“So you said that some… _thing_ appeared a few months back.” Rook questioned.

Tor nodded, kicking a stone that met his foot. “Nobody really knew what it was or could really even see it. I know I’ve never seen it, I’ve just heard about it.”  
  
“And you mentioned something about… creatures?” Rook put a heavy emphasis on the last bit.

“I’ve heard about them… supposedly they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and have different behaviors. I know that local wildlife is still around, hence our ability to survive, but new ones appeared.” Tor explained.

Unfortunately this created more questions than it answered. Rook presumed that they may be similar to the ones found in the ruins, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what they could find.

Then, they heard a loud screech.

Rook readied their magic. “What was that?”  
  
Turning around revealed what made the sound. It vaguely resembled a rabbit, but it looked… wrong. What was supposed to be its fur was this deep, smooth black substance. Its mouth appeared to just be a vertical sliver, and its eyes were a glossy white.

Then, without warning, it jumped towards Tor, in which Rook responded by laying a curse on it, causing it to disintegrate.

“Well aren’t they just a ray of sunshine?” Tor joked.

Rook breathed out, not knowing what he really just saw. “Something is definitely wrong here. Let’s keep an eye out.”

…

They had ventured a bit further, mostly uneventful beyond that one creature that attacked them. The fog had thankfully let up quite a bit, allowing them to not wander as blindly as before. It additionally gave them more time to plan for any possible attacks.

The most unsettling thing was the silence, sometimes broken by a shriek, screech, or clicking noise. Sometimes that signalled a creature coming for them, sometimes it was more in the distance.

Then, the interesting part came. There was… what looked like a… puzzle? And a massive, worn down stone gateway. It was blocked by thick vines.

“How odd. There’s puzzles out here?” Rook wondered.

There were three broken tree stumps in front of them, that stuck out of rocks that were embedded into the ground. Etched on each side of the tree stump was an icon, three in total. A bolt, a cloud, and a strange, unknown symbol that neither of them knew how to decipher.

“Ugh, I hate these. Can’t we just fight some enemies and proceed that way?” Tor pouted.

Rook shook his head, trying to make sense of it. Then, he got an idea. “Hang on, let me try this.”  
  
The stumps could be rotated with a light push. Rook spun the two outer stumps to have the bolt symbol facing forward, and the middle one with the cloud facing forward.   
  
“I think that this is supposed to be a puzzle about magic synergy. Lightning magic working together with Wind magic to create storm magic.” Rook mused, looking for a way to activate the puzzle.

There was a worn plank sticking out of the ground, next to a pile of round stones. There was a target hanging above the three stumps.

Tor picked up a rock from the pile and threw it at the target.

For a moment, nothing happened.

“Maybe I got the solution wrong-” Rook started, but was interrupted by a loud howl that echoed from behind them.

Rook and Tor spun around to see something resembling a werewolf staring right at them. It towered over them, at least ten feet tall, and had those same glossy white eyes as the creatures that came before them. What was supposed to be its tail was something like a third arm, except in its palm rested an eye. It snaked around to the front of the werewolf-like creature that stared them down, snarling.

“Careful what you wish for.” Rook muttered.

Tor summoned his fiery hammer, ready to teach this beast a lesson.

The beast howled, rushing forward. Tor was quick to counter with a fire shield, the beast’s arm brushing against it, sustaining a burn. It hissed, glaring at him.

Rook summoned a barrage of paper to cut into the beast, each hit causing it to wince.

It caught Rook by surprise though with an attack from its third arm, swatting them backwards. Tor returned the favor by smashing its palm with his hammer, causing the beast to reel backwards with a roar.

Tor, with what little time he had, rushed over and helped Rook up. “You okay?”  
  
Rook slowly nodded. “I’ve been worse.”

Instead of attacking, though, the beast let out a loud howl. To Rook and Tor’s dismay, they heard many more echo back, noticing several pairs of eyes lighting up in the shadows.

“Uh oh.” Tor cautiously looked around. It looks like they were quite outnumbered.

Rook sighed. “Looks like this guy called for reinforcements. Here, you focus on the big guy, I’ll focus on the little guys.”

Just as Tor was about to return his attention to the beast that was staring them down, the ground began trembling. Fissures formed in the ground, rapidly growing in size. Multiple rocks jutted out from them, hitting the various wolf-like creatures that had come into the fray. The larger one that had called them was wrapped in thick, thorned vines.

“Tor! I thought I told you that you weren’t allowed out here!” a woman’s voice scolded.

“Clera, I can explain!” Tor replied.

“Do you know them, Tor?” Rook asked.

Clera emerged from the shadows, keeping the beast in a tight hold. “Yes, I am Tor’s caretaker. Though he insists he’s old enough to take care of himself. But more importantly, who are you?”  
  
She had distinct green hair and wore sage colored robes, with brown accents throughout. They looked a bit tattered, no doubt to scuffles she probably got into before now.

Rook put a hand on their chest. “I’m Rook. Here on a research expedition. Actually, Tor here was getting worried about you and the rest in his village, that’s why we’re here.”

Clera smiled. “Well, that was very brave of you, Tor.” She looked towards the beast with a scowl, tightening the vines around it. They eventually gave, its essence seeming to scatter with the wind. “Albeit a bit wreckless.”

Tor rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. It’s been over a day and nobody came back. What did you want me to do, sit around and twiddle my thumbs, doing nothing?”

Clera looked like she was about to argue, when Rook called for her. “Hey, Clera! Know what this symbol means?”

She rushed over to Rook, examining it. “Why yes, that’s the symbol for Fusion.”

Rook snapped their fingers. “Wait, that’s it!”  
  
They spun the one in the middle to the fusion symbol, and the leftmost one to the cloud. Then Rook threw a rock at the target.

The vines retreated from the stone gateway, allowing them to pass.

“Good riddance.” Tor dramatically sighed.

Clera nodded. “I haven’t actually seen the others in awhile… hopefully they are found up here. I grow tired of this unsettling forest.”

* * *

Gilda and Viki trudged down the foggy pathway.

“M-Miss Gilda, where’d you get your m-magic from?” Viki quietly asked.

Gilda’s face faltered slightly, remembering what it was like before. “It was… this sudden burst of energy. My magic was pathetic and useless before, barely had any meaningful function. About 2 or so months ago I got this awesome new lightning magic! But I don’t know why…”

Viki was surprised to hear that. “O-oh! Me t-too!”  
  
“T-that was actually a thing with a lot of the people in our village. We HAD magic but it was weird… it didn’t really do anything. Until a-about 2 months ago, where we all gained powerful new magic!”   
  
Gilda grinned. “That’s awesome! I didn’t know there were so many of you!”

Viki and Gilda continued chatting about various topics along the way.

The path, compared to Rook and Tor’s, was fairly tame and uneventful. It was a winding uphill path, completely silent.

The same could not be said for Maritte.

…

Maritte hadn’t been walking for that long but was already very over the path she walked. She kept getting attacked by these odd looking creatures, steadily increasing in number and difficulty. She was lucky she brought quite a few potions with her, else she would have no doubt been toast.

She had also tackled two puzzles, one being more of a minigame than a puzzle. The first one was a cups-like game fused with whack-a-mole, and the second one was an elaborate maze full of small, but still annoying creatures that kept coming at her.

However, she finally saw a clearing in the trees, and the fog. Of course this wasn’t the end of the forest, but-

Wait, who’s that?

And what on earth is that giant beast that person is fighting!?  
  
The beast in question seemed serpent like. It carried a similar aesthetic to the creatures she had encountered already, but it was obviously much stronger, much faster, and much larger. Not to mention intimidating.

Whoever was fighting it was putting up a good fight. He seemed to be quite old in age, having a long, white beard, and donning a bright blue hat. He also was wearing an ornate blue and gold robes.  
  
The magic, although Maritte had never seen it before, looked like Water magic.

She decided she’d better go help whoever this was out.

"Hey!” Maritte called.  
  
The serpent paused, turning its head around to face Maritte. “Yeah, you! If you want to hurt them, you’ve gotta go through me, first!”   
  
It hissed, spiralling towards Maritte, taking its attention off of the water wizard.

Maritte conjured a flaming fist, striking it point blank, knocking it back by several feet.

The water wizard had capitalized on this, sending a large wave its way, sweeping it away into the side of a tree.

“You! What are you doing here? Don’t you kids know how dangerous it is in this forest!?” The wizard cried.

“You can yell at me later! Let’s get rid of this thing first!” Maritte called, pointing to it as it quickly recovered and slithered towards them.

Maritte began pelting it with mini meteors, which slowed it down significantly. The water wizard responded by ejecting jets of water towards it, which ultimately sent it off course into another tree.

Maritte ran over to it, hoping to finish it off with a swift, flaming punch. The serpent already knew of her plan, however. Before she could land the punch, it wrapped her up and threw her across the clearing, landing with a thud.

While the serpent was distracted the water wizard swamped it with another wave.

Maritte staggered up onto her feet again, feeling her magic burn bright within her.

It was time to show this stupid serpent who was boss.

She slowly levitated off the ground, building up a large ball of fire above her. The serpent caught wind of this and quickly advanced on her, but was too late.

Maritte unleashed the fireball towards the serpent, exploding on impact. There was nothing of it left in its wake, just ash.

Maritte dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. The water wizard ran over to her.

She felt a hand touch her arm, glowing blue. Next, she felt… good! Even better than she had before she even entered this cursed forest. Was that healing magic?  
  
“Thanks.” Maritte smiled.

“Don’t mention it.” The water wizard responded.

“But, what are you doing here? It’s dangerous here!”

Maritte nodded, waving a hand. “Viki and Tor got worried about you and the others so I wanted to help them look. Don’t suppose you’re one of the people he was talking about?”

The wizard went wide eyed. “Wait, do you mean THEY’RE in the forest too!? Oh no no no…”

He straightened himself up, clearing his throat. “Sorry, where are my manners? I’m Yeri, the elder of the village. And you are?”  
  
“Maritte, fire witch.”

Yeri hummed in acknowledgement. “And I see you are quite adept at fire magic. Thank you very much for helping me with that beast by the way… it was giving me quite a bit of trouble.”  
  
Maritte grinned. “No worries!” She looked around the clearing she was standing in. She noticed three pathways, similar to how it was at the entrance to the forest. Then, she heard voices to her left.

“-and that’s how I got kicked out of my dueling class!” Gilda finished, Viki giggling.

“Gilda!” Maritte called, running over to her.

“Maritte! You… uh, look like you’ve been through a lot.”  
  
Maritte rolled her eyes. “Yeah, my path was just _peachy_.”

Viki had noticed Yeri. “O-oh, there y-you are!”  
  
Viki gave him a big hug, Yeri returning the favor. “Ah… I’m sorry we worried you, Viki. Perhaps it’s time we moved to a place with better hunting grounds, hm?”   
  
Rook, Tor, and Clera rounded the corner.

“Yeri! There you are! I thought I lost you…” Clera called, running over to him.

Yeri sadly nodded. “Likewise. This forest is a very strange, dangerous place.”

He looked at the sole pathway that was ahead. “Nelara is still missing… we must find her.”  
  
Clera nodded. “Right. Only one way to go from here.”   
  
Maritte let Yeri lead the way, as the group followed closely behind.

It wasn’t long before they heard the booming of lightning ahead.

Gilda got very excited. “Is that another lightning witch I hear!? I gotta meet them!”

Without thinking, Gilda sprinted ahead.

“Gilda, wait!” Maritte called, running after her.

The rest of the group followed.

* * *

Nelara had been cornered by a large swarm of giant, deformed insects. She was managing to keep them at bay with her magic but it was a losing battle. That was until bolts that weren’t her’s all but vaporized the ones that were closing in on her.

“I don’t know who you are, but we’ve gotta team up against these guys!” Gilda called towards Nelara.

She nodded, joining Gilda’s position.

They combined their power, making quick work of the remaining foes that still dared to cross their path.

The last one retreated as it was struck down by one final decisive bolt.

“So you’re that Nelara person the old guy was talking about?” Gilda asked.

Nelara smiled. “Old guy? Pfft. Yeah, that’s me. Where is he anyway, I haven’t seen him in hours!”  
  
“Right here!” Yeri called.

“And I see you’ve brought everyone else too, huh?” Nelara observed, noticing Clera, Viki, and Tor bringing up the rear. Along with two more faces she didn’t recognize.

Yeri weakly smiled. “That’s right! And starting now, we’re getting out of this blasted forest!”

Nelara and Clera laughed, agreeing.

They decided to not delay any longer. They could only go forward from here. And, to their great relief, it looked like the fog was completely fading.

Over time as they walked the leaves and grass slowly became more and more green like it was when they entered the forest initially, and the plantlife seemed began returning in great abundance.

Eventually, the number of trees began to thin, marking the end of the forest.

They finally reached the outside, the morning now long gone, deep into the afternoon now.

“Never did I ever imagine I’d visit a place like that!” Rook exclaimed, scribbling everything they could remember down into their notebook.

“Mmm, the forest had become notably more dangerous recently, but never this bad. The puzzles and the confusing pathways were new, too!” Yeri finished with a laugh.

“But that place is our main source of food! We can’t just stop going there, can we?” Nelara said.

Clera shook her head. “We’ll have to relocate. We can’t continue on like this.”

Clera looked towards Maritte, Rook, and Gilda. “You three. You’re traveling, aren’t you? Mind if we tag along for the rest of the day? Who knows what we’ll find ahead at this rate.”  
  
Maritte grinned. “Of course! The more the merrier!”

And so they all set off into the hills, the group in search of where to set up camp for the soon upcoming night.

“One thing’s for certain.” Maritte began, “Gonna think it over next time before I go into a dark and mysterious forest again in the future.”

The group shared a laugh in response.

Thus ended another day of the group’s adventure. Many discoveries had been made, both interesting and… well, unsettling. The village, reunited.

But what will await them next in the following day?


	4. Under the Stars

A few hours had passed since everyone emerged from the forest, the sun having completely set by this point. Yeri and the others said their goodbyes as they pressed on into the night, leaving Maritte, Rook, and Gilda. They had since set up their campsite, nestled under a nearby cliffside.

It was a beautiful night. There were innumerable stars in the sky, the sky being a deep, dark blue. It was a full moon as well.

Rook decided to go to sleep the moment the campsite was ready, as they were quite tired after the adventure they just went on through the forest. Maritte felt similar, still a little sore from all the walking.

Gilda had decided to go practice her magic in the distance, lest she wake up Maritte and Rook. She wasn’t feeling quite tired yet.

But Maritte wasn’t faring too well in terms of getting some rest. For the second time in a row.

* * *

Maritte found herself at Ikenfell’s gate.

Wait, how was she here? Wasn’t she-

She saw someone very familiar approach the gate.

Safina Hildegaard. Former famed witch at Ikenfell.

Her sister.

“S-Saf! Where-”   
  
Safina walked right past her without even acknowledging her presence, going right through the gate.   
  
“Hey! Get back here!” Maritte rushed through the gate after her.

“Hey, Safina! Where are you going!?” Maritte cried out. Safina paid her no mind, however. Then it dawned on her.   
  
“Ugh, must be another one of these stupid nightmares. She can’t even see me, can she?” Maritte muttered to herself.

Then, to her great surprise, Safina abruptly stopped. “Oh, I can definitely see you, Maritte.” She spat. Though, it didn’t quite sound like her.

“Saf, w-what are you-”   
  
“Don’t you get it? Don’t you get why this is happening?”   
  
Safina teleported right in front of her, a devilish grin plastered on her face. “That’s because you’re a burden. An embarrassment!”   
  
Maritte felt like she’d been struck through the heart. “W-wh… how could you say that?” Maritte weakly responded.

She could’ve sworn that she heard something resembling static. The background slowly faded away into an empty white room. ‘Safina’ opened her mouth to speak. “I ran away from you because you were holding me back, holding me back from achieving my dreams. With you gone, I can now achieve what I have always wanted!” Its voice grew more and more distorted, and echoed throughout the empty room.

Maritte fell to her knees, putting her hands over her ears. “Shut up… shut up! Safina would n-never say t-that!”

The room suddenly went dark. Maritte was forced to look up. Safina’s eyes were no longer eyes, more like bottomless black voids with tiny red pinpricks for pupils.

At this point, its clear that this definitely wasn’t her sister. She needed to get out of here.

It opened its mouth. “Oh? Running away?” It cackled, teleporting in front of Maritte again. “LIKE YOU DO FROM ALL YOUR PROBLEMS?”

Maritte shoved it out of the way, running in no particular direction. She had to leave, she had to escape, she had to-

Screeches echoed throughout the room, it appeared in front of her again. It bared its fangs, still having the gall to use Safina’s form to get to her. “IT’S. YOUR. FAULT!”

Maritte’s magic flared up within her, conjuring a colossal fireball. “Leave. Me. ALONE!” She screamed, sending it hurdling towards the form.

For a moment, she saw fear in its eyes, before she was abruptly ejected from the room. For a split second, she could feel the heat of the fireball pass over her, and hear it make contact.

* * *

She awoke, heavily breathing, quickly sitting up.

Maritte frantically looked around, patting herself and the ground.

She was here. She was okay. Everything was… fine! Well, ‘fine’ was a bit of a stretch.

Maritte decided to give up on getting any further rest lest she fall prey to another nightmare again. That was one of the worse ones. Recently Pertisia had thankfully disappeared from them for obvious reasons, but this one still nagged her.

She sighed, leaving her tent. It was nowhere near morning. Judging by the position of the moon in the sky, it was around midnight.

It looked like Rook was still fast asleep, but Gilda still hadn’t turned in.

She softly chuckled to herself. She was just an endless ball of energy, wasn’t she?   
  
Maritte looked over to see what looked like a pathway that leaded up to the cliffside. She nodded to herself, beginning up the path.

Maybe a quick hike and a good view was what she needed to clear her mind. Part of her knew that wasn’t the case, but she had time to kill and it did serve as a nice distraction nonetheless.

...

Gilda was practicing her teleporting during all of this. She wanted to teleport with greater frequency, precision, and distance.

She grumbled in frustration. She had been trying for 30 minutes and she hadn’t made any meaningful progress! Maybe it was a sign for her to finally go get some rest.

As she began walking back towards the campsite, she saw Maritte leaving her tent. She paused, squinting at her.

Maritte looked tremendously tired. And, additionally, fairly distressed. Just what had happened while she had her back turned!?

Gilda sadly shook her head. She wasn’t about to let her face this alone!

She ran back for the camp, seeing her beginning up the trail, prompting her to pick up her pace. “Not on my watch, you flaming hot witch.”

* * *

Maritte was right in that a hike up the trail proved to be a good distraction. Her mind was simply empty, devoid of any distractions or dark thoughts.

Just the way she liked it.

She had reached the clifftop, looking out over the vast landscape before her.

There was a vast mountain miles in the distance, towering over everything in her sight. The peak was capped with snow. Around it were more cliffs and smaller mountains.

Immediately before her was a rather hilly landscape, ripe with trees and other plants she hadn’t seen before. She could have sworn that she saw what was… a paved path? She hadn’t seen a single one of those at all since she first arrived here. She’d have to check it out in the morning.

Provided she didn’t collapse.

Maritte, against her better judgement, decided to think back to the nightmare. What it meant. What they were supposed to mean.

Maritte kept thinking about her sister. Where was she now? What was she doing? Is she okay? Is she…

Maritte gulped.  No no, she can’t be. But she was supposed to write to her, she said so herself. It’s been two months however, and it’s been completely silent on that front. She was beginning to lose hope.

All the possibilities, the outcomes, potential reasons, true or false, they kept haunting her in the night, and she was sick of it. WHY could she not move on?

Maritte broke down. It started with a few sniffles, a few tears, then it eventually transitioned into loud sobs.

“T-this is g-going to haunt m-me forever, isn’t it..!”

But Gilda wouldn’t let her suffer this alone.

She caught up to Maritte, having heard her crying. Her heard seized up at the sight.

“Maritte, what’s wrong?” Gilda rushed over to her, concern written all over her face.

Maritte seemed like she was trying to explain, but she failed to put it into words. She just continued crying, instead.

Gilda pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. “It’s alright, Maritte. I’m here.”   
  
Maritte jolted from the sudden contact, but leaned into her.

Gilda didn’t dare let go.

…

Maritte’s sobs eventually subsided, her breathing slowing.

Gilda sighed. Oh Wala, what was she supposed to do?

Maritte sniffed. “G-Gilda?” She croaked.

Gilda tilted her head towards Maritte, waiting for a response.

Maritte weakly smiled. “T-thank you.”

That smile slowly turned to a frown. “I’m s-sorry for being s-such a mess…”

Gilda huffed. “You shouldn’t have to apologize for that, Maritte! We’ve all been through rough patches in our life, like it or not.”   
  
Maritte sluggishly shook her head. “Shouldn’t b-be your problem.”

Gilda frowned. “Maritte, please. Let me help! I really, really like you, okay? I don’t want to see you lose yourself to…”   
  
Gilda coughed. “Yourself.”

Maritte went wide eyed. “Wait, you what?”

Gilda didn’t understand, then realized what she said. She blushed profusely. She just had to let that slip out NOW of all times! “I MEAN, um…”

Maritte weakly laughed. “N-nevermind! But…”

Smile quickly fading from her face, Maritte looked down. “M-maybe it would h-help for me to actually talk about my p-problems.”

Gilda internally scolded herself. “I’m all ears.”

Maritte shakily sighed, attempting to recount her memories. “I always blame myself when something goes wrong. I always think I’m the problem, and that I’m the only one who can fix it. And, I think that everyone is counting on me to do so.”   
  
“S-so when Perty and S-Saf disappeared, I…, I...” Maritte trailed off, more tears threatening to spill down her face.

Gilda shook her head. “Maritte… I know that you’ve probably heard this more times than you can count, but listen to me when I say this.”   
  
Gilda pointed Maritte’s head in her direction, forcing her to look at her. “It’s not your fault. None of it ever was.”   
  
Maritte lightly gasped, putting a hand to her head. “That’s not…”   
  
“Sorry, it's just I… keep having these AWFUL nightmares! They all play out the same. Perty was in them initially but she eventually disappeared from them. This… this THING keeps using Safina as a shell to taunt me, to keep tormenting me with all my failures!”   
  
Gilda grumbled. “Oh, those are the WORST! I’ve had them before… and there’s only one way to get rid of them.”   
  
Maritte quickly looked up. “How?”   
  
Gilda tried to remember. It had been quite some time since she had any quite like that. “It’s simple… and yet it’s not. All you have to do is think positive thoughts… and not dwell on any failures or think about anything for too long that, well, you know.”   
  
Maritte looked back down again. “So, something I can’t do.”   
  
Gilda shook her head. “Nonsense. You just need someone to help you.” Gilda grinned. “And you’re looking right at them! Like it or not!”   
  
Maritte sadly smiled. “A-alright. If you i-insist.”

Gilda looked at Maritte, as if what she said was a crime. “Of course I do! I REFUSE to let you face this alone.”

Maritte weakly laughed. “Alright, alright…”

* * *

Maritte and Gilda decided to talk for a little longer. But Maritte had something different in mind.

“Earlier, you said that you really, REALLY like me.” Maritte blushed. “Did you… did you really mean that?”

Gilda did the same. “I-I, uhhh…”   
  
Gilda’s face was bright red. “Y-yes. I truly do.”   
  
Maritte had the biggest grin. “Heh. That’s funny, because…”   
  
“I do too.”   
  
Gilda couldn’t believe it. Did she hear that correctly? “You… what?”

Maritte was still faintly blushing as she spoke. “You’re such an amazing person, Gilda. And now you insist on helping me with my emotional baggage. Not to mention...”   
  
Maritte smirked. “Your feelings were so obvious from the very beginning!”

Gilda put her hands over her face in embarrassment.

“And… I think you’re pretty cute, too.”

Gilda all but collapsed at this point.

asfhfgkasdkfhacjcrtytnkcxajcnp

Gilda sat up, facing Maritte. “Guilty as c-charged” She nervously winked.

They both sat there for a moment, looking up at the stars again.

Maritte gradually inched closer and closer, eventually putting her arm around Gilda.

Gilda leaned into her. “The skies are b-beautiful, h-huh?” She stammered.

Maritte laughed. “Yeah! They… are…”

She looked down at the campsite that was below them, smiling to herself.

Gilda nervously looked at Maritte. “So, uhh…”

“Do-”   
  
Before Gilda could even react, Maritte suddenly pulled Gilda in for a kiss right on the cheek.

Gilda was caught completely off guard, going rigid. Her face, if it wasn’t before, went completely red.   
  
error 404 gilda.exe has stopped working

Maritte giggled. She got a kick out of Gilda’s reactions every time.

Perhaps things weren’t looking so bleak for her, after all?

“Alright, get up. Let’s head back to the camp.”   
  
Gilda shakily nodded, and they ventured back down the trail, holding hands.

…

They both returned to their respective tents. But it wasn’t long before Gilda had heard movement from the tent next to her.

Upon closer inspection, Maritte was tossing and turning in her sleep. Murmuring incoherently to no one in particular.

Gilda hesitated, steeling herself. Should she?

Was she really doing this?

Yes, yes she was.   
  
Gilda slowly and carefully lowered herself down next to Maritte, cuddling her. She was thankful she couldn’t see her face right now.

Her movements gradually slowed, and she went silent. It was replaced with soft, peaceful breathing, leaning into her embrace.

Worth it.

She quickly drifted off to sleep.

  
  


This was far warmer, anyway.


	5. Memory Lane

For the first time in months, Maritte had a simple, peaceful, good night of sleep. She hadn’t felt this refreshed from a nights’ rest in a very long time.

She attempted to roll onto her back, but noticed she couldn’t. Then she noticed the arm draped over her, and the slumbering form that was curled around her.

Oh.

Right, that happened. Did she have another nightmare again?

She smiled. How did she survive without her?

Maybe she could afford a few more minutes.

…

Maritte had decided to remain, not wanting to interrupt Gilda’s rest. Part of her also wanted to see her reaction. She might not remember how she got here or fully remember what happened the other night.

It still felt kind of surreal. It surely was for Gilda.

Gilda stirred, her eyes fluttering open, then tiredly closing them again. “Turn it off…” She groaned.  
  
Was she talking about the sun..?

Maritte leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. “It’s time to wake up, cutie.” She whispered.

Gilda’s eyes shot open as she quickly backed away into the back of the tent. “WOAH HOLD UP WAIT WHAT DID YOU JUST DO WHY AM I IN HERE WITH YOU THIS IS WEIRD RIGHT-”

Maritte giggled, waving her hands dismissively. “You’re fine, really! Besides, I…” Maritte blushed, looking away. “Really needed the company.”  
  
Gilda remembered what happened the other night.

“So… so that wasn’t a dream. This is real.”

Maritte nodded. “That’s right!”

Gilda sheepishly grinned. “O-okay, sure! This is fine!”

Maritte got up, pulling Gilda out from the tent. “Now come on, we’ve got more exploring to do, remember?”  
  
“Whoah-” Gilda stumbled to her feet, putting an arm over her eyes to shield them from the blinding sunlight.

“I had a feeling that’s where you were.” Rook remarked, looking up from their notebook.

“Eeep!” Gilda jumped back, clearly not expecting Rook to be there.

“I s-swear, i-it’s not w-what it l-looked like!” Gilda stammered, face now bright red.

Rook chuckled. “That aside, we soon ready? I’ve been waiting out here for awhile and I want to go see what lies ahead.”  
  
Maritte remembered something. “Oh! Jeez, was I asleep for that long? I’m sorry!”

“You’re fine. You needed the rest, anyway.”

With that, Maritte and Gilda worked together to disassemble their tents.

* * *

The group began down the paved path. Perhaps there was actual civilization out here after all? Mostly all they’ve seen so far is a spooky forest and a village devoid of its residents.

As they left the hills and cliffs they entered another dense forest. This one, however, looked perfectly normal, to their great relief. Well, save for the abundance of colors both on the trees and plants throughout the area.

There was this awfully peculiar tree which seemed to droop downward, and had violet leaves. The leaves were rough to the touch while the base of the tree was oddly smooth.

The bulbous plant Maritte found on day one reappeared once again, which had a blue variant accompanying it, doing the exact opposite thing.

The path was evidently well kept. There were little to no cracks in the pavement, and all the plants and leaves did not get in the way, rather they were neatly tucked out of the way whilst still being viewable. Many taller trees also hung over the path providing shade.

While Maritte and Gilda, hand in hand, were enjoying the scenery and having a friendly chat, Rook was taking notes wherever he could, true to their word.

Rook still had many questions left unanswered. What was the deal with that forest they passed through yesterday? Why is there a well kept paved path on an island that is almost devoid of human life? Just how much is exclusive to this island?

As the group rounded the corner there was a massive lake to their left. What was in it, however, was very interesting.

Only its head was visible, but it looked reptilian in nature. It had a long snout and several razor sharp teeth. Running down the top of its head was a large fin that continued down into the water where the rest of its body inevitably was, complete with small horns that jutted out of its head. It had turquoise scales and yellow eyes, with black slivers for pupils.

“Woah, what is that?” Rook breathed. As he started to sketch it, Gilda was already running down towards the lake, yelling “Slay the beast! Slay the beast!”, prompting Maritte to pursue her.

It took notice of Gilda’s intent, and dipped its head under the water.

“Aw… where’d it go?” Gilda deflated.

Maritte caught up to Gilda, panting. “You… hah.. you weren’t going to fight t-that thing, were you?”  
  
“Um… maybe-” Gilda was cut off by its form rushing out of the water again, exposing more of its body. It had two arms with four sharp claws on each. Its fingers were webbed, and it had fins coming off of its forearms.   
  
It had bared its teeth, snarling just inches away from where Gilda stood.

Gilda was all but paralyzed, the beast glaring right into her soul. This was the end.

Then, Maritte had an idea.

Because it felt like the right thing to do, she slowly reached up and pet it on its nose.

It flinched from the contact, rearing its head back in shock.

It lowered its form down to eye level, and slowly approached Maritte, watching her intently.

Did it… did it seriously just want to be pet?  
  
Maritte cautiously pet it once more, in which it purred as if it were a cat. A grin spread across its features.

It closed its eyes and sunk back into the water, not rising again.

“...well, that was anticlimactic.” Gilda commented, still a bit shaken.

Maritte snorted. “I… didn’t think that would actually work. But I guess I’ve seen weirder things.”  
  
Rook had begun his descent down to the lake, originally intending on helping them with… whatever that was. “Add that to the list of weird things on that island. Massive intimidating lake monster who just wanted some affection, check.”

With that, they returned to the path and continued forward.

* * *

After quite a bit of time walking in silence, Rook decided to finally put away their notebook and ask the burning question.  
  
“So, who confessed?” Rook asked simply.

Both Gilda and Maritte blushed, taken off guard by the question. Maritte pointed to Gilda, who only began blushing with greater intensity than before.

“Ah. I’m just more surprised you two didn’t get together sooner. I mean, Gilda over here was dropping extremely obvious hints on the very first day you two met.” Rook chuckled to themselves at the memory.

Maritte smiled, fondly remembering as well. “I was originally going to say something but I decided it wasn’t the right time… and also part of me wanted to see Gilda get creative.”  
  
Gilda was having a bad time right now. She was really bad at this. “H-hey I just c-couldn’t keep my f-feelings about you to myself, a-alright?” Gilda stammered.

Maritte laughed. “I’m joking. I was oblivious at first, actually, then it started to click. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.”  
  
Gilda’s blush faded as she regained her composure. “What about you, Rook?”   
  
Rook wasn’t expecting to receive that question. “H-huh?”   
  
Maritte nodded in agreement. “Yeah, my sister never told me about this… I’ve been kinda curious too.”   
  
Rook scratched the back of their head. “Ah jeez… look I… I’m not sure if I want to talk about it.”   
  
Gilda shook her head. “Hey, it’s only fair! We told you, now you tell us!”   
  
Maritte frowned. “Gilda…”   
  
Rook put up his hand. “No, she’s right. Besides, who knows how long we’ve got left to walk anyway. This’ll help pass the time.”   
  
Maritte slowly nodded. “If that’s what you really want…”

Rook cleared his throat. “You already saw how it began, when that painting was replaced. With my magic ink and her illusion magic we were able to create a perfect replica without any of the original’s annoying side effects.”  
  
“Though, that’s not the whole story.”   
  
Gilda was very interested, ready to absorb every little detail. Maritte too was curious since Safina never told her this herself, and only had a few snippets of info from those two memories she saw that were very far apart from each other.

“It actually started with Safina coming to me. Since she knew I knew the library very well, she needed help finding a book, one regarding alchemy. Bare in mind, this all happened after that incident with the Unseen.”

Rook still remembered it. Safina was a very different person back then. She was very outgoing, yes, but something changed in her after the incident. It was very unsettling, to say the least.

“Long story short, she was looking for a book to help fix another…” Rook trailed off, snickering as he realized the irony. “But I concluded it’d be better to just rewrite the ruined pages and replace them. But it would be obvious that it was tampered with.”  
  
Rook at the time had been unfamiliar with Safina’s magic, only seeing it a handful of times. He couldn’t quite describe it.

“Turns out that she was good at illusion spells. So that in conjunction with magic ink made it nigh indistinguishable from the original. She even went the extra mile and just restored the whole thing. Mind you, it was nothing more than an illusion, but a very convincing one. After that she handed the book to me apologizing for the trouble then went on her way. But I got the feeling that wouldn’t be the last I’d see of her.”

“Safina asking for help? That’s odd!” Gilda commented.

Maritte nodded in agreement. “She’s the type who PRETENDS they don’t need help, and only implies. She never blatantly asks for help with anything.”

Rook continued the story as they walked down the increasingly windy path. “In the following term she came to me again, this time when I was studying with Nel. She asked if I wanted to help her with an experiment, in which I decided to agree on, under the condition that Nel could assist too. After coming to an agreement it began, and went off without a hitch. The three of us were a good team. This is around when the _mystery solving gang_ became a thing.” Rook said as he remembered Pertisia’s remarks.

Rook awkwardly cleared their throat. “You already knew of what happened with that painting, but that’s more or less where it kicked off. The following day she took me and Nel to the archives, beyond where you’re usually permitted to go.”  
  
Rook looked on at the path ahead, this next memory still fresh in their mind. “Our time at the twilight yard was great, too. Their romantic side is oh so different than their friend side. It’s like she was a totally different person. Unfortunately this is when I began to discover her real intent.”   
  
Rook sighed, not liking the next bit. “She took me to the archives again to delve even deeper into it than before, and uncover more secrets, but I realized that she was purposefully leaving Nel out just to further our own relationship. And I wasn’t about to trade a friendship for a relationship, that just wasn’t right. We didn’t speak again after that.”   
  
“Actually, come to think of it, I didn’t see her at all until that one day at the Spelltower, and then she disappeared the following day so…” Rook shrugged. “Makes me wonder what would’ve happened had I not done anything. I can only begin to theorize.”   
  
Gilda had already known of its end, since she had seen it through a memory shard in the archives. However, she still felt bad for them, even if the breakup was justified. “That’s a real shame… you two were kind of cute together…”   
  
Maritte just sighed, almost not surprised. “I know how it went already but… the fact she willingly hid this from me and now that I know the context, just makes it hurt that much more. I’m sorry, Rook.”   
  
Rook sometimes wonders if he could’ve gone about it differently. Maybe if he hadn’t just stormed out of there and had been a bit more reasonable. It’s not like Rook was her puppet, she would’ve surely listened to his pleas, right?   
  
Rook just couldn’t help but feel slightly responsible for her disappearance. It arguably set all of those events in motion, too. And he knew full well how poorly Maritte took it. Not to mention the strain it had put on Rook and Nel’s friendship at the time.

“No, I’m sorry.”

Maritte didn’t understand. “Sorry about what?”

“I can’t help but feel I am partially to blame for her disappearance. Even all those things that happened that led to all the events that happened on that one day. I feel like it sent her on this downward spiral.”  
  
“Rook-”   
  
“No, really. Remember how Safina and Pertisia used to be best friends? Incident happened, now Pertisia and Safina practically became sworn enemies, then when she makes new friends they too either run away or turn their back on her. It had to have taken its toll!”   
  
Maritte almost couldn’t argue as those were sound points, but she knew her sister. “Rook, it’s not your fault. Safina just does these things. She can be incredibly reckless and make shortsighted decisions sometimes. I’m just glad that you stood up for your friendship between you and Nel, that’s something you wanted to keep and was very important to you.”   
  
Rook sighed, giving up. “Alright, fine. But my apology still stands.”   
  
Maritte softly smiled. “Apology accepted.”   
  
Gilda had gotten far more than she had bargained for, evidently, and just kind of felt bad for all parties involved. Even Safina to an extent, who had been kind of a jerk to her for as long as she could remember.

Maritte wanted to change the subject, so she asked a question she had really been wanting an answer to for some time.

“Rook, has Nel told you anything about what working for the Coven is like?”  
  
Rook smiled at that. “Absolutely. They were practically over the moon in their first letter to me, explaining every little detail. Obviously I won’t explain everything but basically…”   
  
“Nel was tasked with improving existing potions. A fairly common but necessary demand of an alchemist of that caliber, and with the ever evolving alchemy demands in the real world. Then they began making all new potions such as ones that could grant you fire immunity for a short time, something that hasn’t been done before. But they began to run out of ways to make new potions from existing materials, leading us onto this trip.” Rook still couldn’t believe Nel had managed to make it that far. 

He had always known of Nel’s talent, but needless to say he was honored to know someone who got into their ranks. It’s quite unfortunate they have no librarian ranks to fill, because he would no doubt be right at home!

Maritte smiled. “Sounds like it can be intense… but at least they’re having fun! I didn’t even know Nel for that long and I already miss them…”  
  
Rook slowly nodded. “They mentioned that they wanted to stop by and visit sometime but I guess it's real busy there right now. But I will get a chance to have a chat with them when I deliver the supplies. You two can come with if you’d like.”   
  
Maritte and Gilda gave Rook a thumbs up. “Great. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to see you two again.”

They continued down the rest of the path for awhile longer. But as they began to encounter other people along the way, they began to get the feeling that whatever their final destination was on this island was quite important. 

* * *

When they finally reached the end, they began to understand why there was a paved path and why there were more and more people.

The path ended at what was what could only be described as one of the most unique, breathtaking, and expansive gardens they had ever laid their eyes on. It was clear that whoever had constructed it knew a great deal and took great care to make it a reality.

It was at that moment that they saw two very familiar people emerge from the garden’s center. It was none other than Aeldra and Ifig.  
  
They were different than they were 2 months ago, though. Aeldra no longer wore that red and silver circlet and had ditched her coven-esque robes for a dark green cloak with intricate patterns. Ifig didn’t look very different, but had her attention focused on an adorable kitten she was cradling in her arms. It was a vibrant orange with brown stripes.

“Aeldra, Ifig! I didn’t expect to find you two out here!” Rook called, waving.

They hurried over to meet the group.

“Oh, goodness! We get a lot of visitors but you three are a pleasant surprise!” Ifig remarked.

Aeldra nodded in agreement, now gesturing to their handiwork. “Like what we’ve done with the place? It took awhile, but since word got out…”  
  
Maritte was in awe at the display. “It’s beautiful! The garden back at Ikenfell was great, but this is truly a whole new level!”   
  
Maritte pointed to another spot in the garden and dragged Gilda over with her by hand, not that she protested.

That just left Rook. “You two don’t mind if I walk around here and take some notes, do you? This is tremendously fascinating! I want to share this with the folks back at Ikenfell.”  
  
Aeldra chuckled. “Always the notetaker, aren’t you, Rook? No, go on ahead. We’ll be at the center of the garden if you need us!”   
  
Aeldra took Ifig by the hand and they walked back to the center of the garden in which they came.

...

“So… you’re really okay with this? I’m genuinely am not dreaming, am I?” Gilda still had her doubts that the events of the previous night were even fully real. She had admired Maritte in many ways upon first meeting her, and now that she admitted the very same thing for her…

“Of course! Do you need me to tell you all the reasons why again?”

Gilda’s cheeks flushed. “N-no! It’s just…” She sighed. “I… I feel you could do so much better than m-me.”  
  
It hurt Maritte to see Gilda talk down on herself like this. “Even if that were true… it’s not so much someone’s appearance or abilities that matters, but rather what they do as a person. You’re already making it so much easier to live with all this self blame and my insecurities and you literally only just talked to me yesterday. The results speak for themselves.”   
  
Gilda nervously laughed. “A-alright… if you say so. B-but I still don’t deserve you.”   
  
Maritte grinned. “I believe that you do! Really! This was a conscious decision I made, and I’m happy I made it. I really mean it.”

Gilda couldn’t keep herself from smiling any longer. Maritte really was one of the most kindhearted people she ever met. “And I will get you out of this rut you’ve been trapped in!”  
  
“That’s the spirit!”

Gilda subtly leaned in to kiss Maritte on the cheek, and managed to take her by surprise. Her face went red. She FINALLY got her!  
  
Maritte dramatically put her hand over her head. “Oh nooo… how could I be so easily defeateeeeed!?”

They both shared a laugh, during which Maritte saw an opening and returned the favor. This prompted Gilda to more or less collapse in bitter defeat, now a blushing mess.

* * *

After some well needed rest from the long trip the group went to admire what was in the center.

It was a leaf statue of Aeldra and Ifig. If you looked closely you could see the branches the leaves sprouted from. The most spectacular part was how this statue had colors other than green. From a distance it’d almost seem like you saw a pair of giants just standing around in the garden, only to find they were made out of thousands of uniquely colored leaves. It’s not like they were painted either, but grown with the assistance of magic. It was no doubt the centerpiece of the entire garden.

Maritte gasped. “No way… you two made this!?”  
  
Aeldra and Ifig nodded in unison. “Ifig came up with the idea and the design, I added some polish to it and helped her bring it to life. It was a lot of hard work… but it was so worth it!” Aeldra beamed.

Rook was extremely impressed. “I didn’t even know this was possible! The garden back at Ikenfell was impressive, but THIS? No wonder people travel so far to see this place.”

Even Gilda had to admit it was really cool to look at, even though it wasn’t really her thing. Though, now she was here, she thought she should ask; “So why did you two come here anyway?”

Aeldra and Ifig looked at eachother, expressions seeming to be resembling both happiness and sadness.

Ifig gestured for everyone to take a seat. “It’s a long story. But a good one.”

“So, after Aeldra’s final announcement, we decided it was high time to move somewhere else… some place quiet. Along the way we met a former student who also seemed to feel the same way…”

…

_2 months ago, the day after the events of the Spelltower..._

“So why did you two leave, anyway? I can sort of begin to guess why, but still.” Pertisia asked.

“We’ll exchange. If you tell us then we will tell you.” Aeldra countered.

Pertisia’s breath caught briefly, then she sighed. “Alright, fine.”  
  
Aeldra nodded. “Ifig and I talked, and I took a moment to think about everything that had and has been happening to me. And what all that had in common with my former position, headmistress. I came to the conclusion that perhaps my time at this position was up, and it was time to pass on the helm to someone else. Someone who was more capable of dealing with this job’s many burdens and challenges. I think though that I left Ikenfell in pretty good hands. Radegund and Ima make a great team, no doubt.”   
  
Ifig weakly smiled, remembering their talk and the morning that followed after. “She poured so much of herself into her work that she forgot to take a moment to breathe every now and then. That pressure no doubt eats away at you over time, until you eventually crumble.” Ifig grimaced. “It… left behind a lot of scars, mentally. So I think the best way to heal is to get away from all that, settle down in a quiet, peaceful place, and do what we love. Gardening with magic!”

Pertisia shared the same sentiment in a way. “See, that sounds a lot like me in a lot of ways, except I was a student and going through different… issues.”  
  
Aeldra had already known of what Pertisia was talking about, to an extent. But only the tail-end of the incident. The details were far worse.

Pertisia detailed the incident with the Unseen and Safina’s involvement, the whole purpose of that. Then she explained what happened as she watched her former best friend throw her under the bus and start doing the same thing to two new people she met.

“And… and then… I saw her just… do the EXACT SAME THING! The very same things she did for me! Got them to do reckless and mischievous stuff. I feared that she would drag them into another awful situation like I was in, so I went to great lengths to stop her. But her new friends would not budge. Then Safina just continued to make a fool of me! It was as if she had no sympathy for me or felt any remorse for what she had done and-!” Pertisia sniffed. This whole thing hurt her so much. She still wasn’t sure if abandoning everyone she had begun to get to know was even right, even if it would supposedly help her mental state.

“...anyway. The reason why I left was because Ikenfell was just bad memory after bad memory. Any good ones that had come along were ruined, and any new ones I picked up along the way just… were not the same. Weren’t right. I can only uphold a facade for so long before it just… breaks. So I decided to just, leave! I’ve been dying to just go back to performing anyway after my parents decided otherwise…” Pertisia’s mood visibly soured as she remembered the exact night where they insisted she focus on her classes and abandon performing.

“I’m so sorry, Pertisia.” Aeldra had a grim expression on her face. She was once again reminded of her failures as headmistress. How had she let all of this happen right under her nose?  
  
“It’s okay… not much you could have done anyways. She’s a real piece of work, isn’t she..?” Pertisia still didn’t quite know how to feel about Safina after everything that had happened. She desperately wanted to believe she was a good person, but she kept making these horrible decisions that negatively affected everyone around her, including herself. And for what cause?   
  
Ifig shared the same expression as Aeldra. “Nonsense… we could’ve at least talked some sense into your parents.”   
  
Pertisia paused. “Huh? But…”   
  
Aeldra nodded. “She’s right. Although it is a parent’s conscious decision to enroll their child into magic school, I don’t condone squandering anyone’s talent for some meaningless test scores.”

Ifig softly smiled. “If we ever see them again… would you be okay if we had a word with them?”  
  
Pertisia was taken aback by the request. Her parents were as tough as nails. How on earth could these two get through to them? Not to mention they had gotten far more strict after the incident… it was a miracle she managed to slip out without them noticing her absence. She didn’t even want to know what would happen after they caught wind of her being reported as missing.

“I’d like that.”

…

“Aeldra and I had originally intended to make the trip alone, but Pertisia decided to join us for awhile. She was really great company, and we even got to see one her performances. She's really something, isn't she?” Ifig said as she remembered the first one she ever saw. It truly moved her heart. It was an experience like no other.

Maritte frowned. She didn’t know her very well, but learned much of her struggles over the short time that she did. To hear them come from her and in such great detail… it was truly heart wrenching. It was at the very least reassuring to see she was doing much better now. She just wished she could’ve done SOMETHING to help.

Aeldra decided to continue where Ifig left off. “We had eventually parted ways with Pertisia, just before setting foot on this very island.”

  
…

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways.” Pertisia said, looking at the docks where Aeldra and Ifig would soon depart.

Aeldra was sad to hear it. “Oh, already? Well. We had fun traveling with you, didn’t we, dear?”

Ifig quickly nodded. “Can I pet Snowball one more time?”  
  
Pertisia softly laughed. “Of course.” She hoisted her over into Ifig’s arms, the cat not seeming to notice its change in resting place.

Ifig stroked Snowball’s head softly, prompting it to quietly purr and snuggle into her hold. “Love, you know we have to get a kitten now, right?”  
  
Aeldra sheepishly smiled at the thought. Ifig had been bringing it up for quite some time, but now she suspected it’d be impossible for her to resist now that she had gotten up close with one.

Ifig eventually handed back Snowball to Pertisia. “Again, I’m sorry about everything that’s happened. We still stand by our word, though. Keep your head high and good luck out there! You’re extremely talented, don’t you ever forget that!”  
  
Pertisia’s cheeks flushed as she smiled. She wasn’t familiar with receiving praise from just about anyone. It was still a new feeling to her.   
  
She waved as they parted ways, and continued into the sunset, alone once again.

…

“We made our way to this very island. We just kept venturing on until we found this, which we deemed to be the perfect spot. I’m very glad we moved here. It’s so peaceful here.”  
  
Gilda’s eyes wandered over to the bright orange cat that was napping in the corner. “So that’s where that cat came from…”   
  
Ifig’s face lit up, running over to it. “Right! This is Flora! We found her in the wild as we were wandering this island, so I decided to take her under my wing. She was in pretty rough shape before then, but she’s really made a comeback!” Made obvious by its more chubby form. It seems Ifig was definitely not one to neglect pets.

Maritte had disappeared at some point during the second part of the story. Gilda made haste to go look for her. She couldn’t have wandered far.

* * *

Maritte sat alone in a darker corner of the garden, tucked away from the outside.

She couldn’t keep doing this. The secrets. The lies. Her heart continued to ache for Pertisia, while she kept learning more and more of the things her sister had done both to her and others. Maritte certainly didn’t resent her by any means, or hate her, but to say she wasn’t hurt or disappointed was an understatement. Sure, they had talked the night before she disappeared, but she wondered how much of that was lies and how much of that was truth. Just what would it take for her to finally tell her the truth?  
  
“Maritte…” Gilda frowned.

Maritte sighed. “Sorry… I’m just tired. Of… this. I just want things to go back to the way they were before all this. Times were simpler. Everything is so complicated and WRONG now. I just…”  
  
Gilda swiftly pulled her in for a hug. “I wasn’t ready for all this either. But, we’re in this together. I think so long as we stay strong, we’ll pull through. I promise.”   
  
Maritte sniffed, weakly smiling. “Y-yeah. Sorry you have to keep seeing me like this.”   
  
Gilda shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. I’m here to support you, remember?”   
  
Gilda took her hand and led her back to the group.

“Let’s go home.”  
  
Maritte nodded, squeezing her hand.

Everything was going to be alright.


	6. Home

Aeldra and Ifig, along with their cat, Flora, accompanied the group on their way back to the docks. They got to know each other all a little bitter.

Aeldra and Ifig had learned much about this place in their 2 month stay, so they decided to share what they had learned.

While this island’s origin is unknown, it was completely devoid of any human presence outside of the village people that the group had met beforehand. It is made most interesting by the diverse plant life, and very warm climate. Despite it being technically winter, it felt as warm as a typical summer day.

The place was also teeming with magic. Both in obvious and more discreet ways. Magic is part of what influenced this land’s diversity. Furthermore, the sheer amount of magical presence can empower both magic users and creatures on the land. It is unknown why this area in particular has such a high concentration.

Along the way, they bumped into Yeri and the others, who still had yet to find a permanent place of residence. So they too tagged along.

...  
  
They encountered that lake monster again from before, but this time Maritte was prepared.

It recognized her, and it quickly swam up to meet her. And she, without hesitation, patted its nose.

The rest also took part in petting the lake monster, to its great joy.

What Maritte didn’t know however is that it could speak.

“Thank you, humans. You’re too kind.”

Everyone was universally shocked. Maritte gulped. “D-did you just talk?”  
  
It looked like it was almost baffled at the question. “You literally wield magic and I’m the weirdest thing you’ve seen all day?”   
  
Maritte laughed. “Fair enough!”

It turned its attention to gaze on the group in full. “For long, I have been hunted by frightened outsiders, but in reality I wanted nothing more than a friend. But alas, my form does not tell that same story. So I am glad that some kindness has finally made its way to me after all these years.”

It lowered its head to be level with Maritte. “And you, young one. What is your name?”  
  
Maritte held out her hand. “I’m Maritte.”   
  
It looked at her hand, then pulled its arm out of the water, gingerly moving one of its fingers to meet Maritte’s hand. Maritte shook its finger. “I am Solum, guardian of this island. For your kind deed, how can I repay you and your friends?”   
  
Maritte hummed. “Can you give us a ride back home?” She gestured to Gilda and Rook, who waved at it.   
  
Solum grinned. “But of course. Your wish is my command.”

Solum backed away from the group, exiting the lake on the opposite side. Looks like it could still survive well on land, just slithering around. It glanced back towards Maritte. “And where is this home, exactly?”

…

Seeing as they didn’t have to take a boat back out of there they simply walked to the shoreline instead of having to traverse that terrible forest again. They were there in just under an hour.

Upon arrival, Solum lowered itself into the water, patiently awaiting its passengers.

The three turned to the rest who had followed them out.

Aeldra and Ifig stepped forward. Maritte couldn’t help but suppress a giggle when she saw Flora curled up atop Ifig’s head. “Ifig and I really enjoyed your company. I hope we meet again someday.”  
  
Ifig nodded in agreement. “You three are always welcome here. Though… next time we’ll be sure to prepare for your arrival!” She nervously laughed, having known about the forest they had passed through.

Yeri was next. He fondly smiled at Maritte. “Thank you for saving me. And I also want to thank you and the rest of your friends for saving my people as well. We would’ve been goners!”  
  
Nelara scoffed. “You act like we DON’T have awesome magic powers to defend ourselves, old man. You always assume the worst!”   
  
Clera approached with Viki and Tor in tow, who were more than happy to see them. “Thank you three for keeping them safe. They also showed me what they had learned from you in our absence. For that, you also have my thanks.”   
  
Tor beamed. “Now I can take on ALL enemies who dare cross my path!”   
  
Viki weakly smiled at Tor’s enthusiasm. “M-me too!”

Gilda and Rook jumped on Solum’s back, ready to begin the trip back home. Maritte turned to join them, but paused. “Wait.”  
  
She pointed at Aeldra and Ifig. “Didn’t you two say you were going to talk with Pertisia’s parents?”   
  
They nodded. “She was actually at Adevo City, where we came, just a few days ago. It’s a bit of a hunch, but if her parents really cared, they would’ve come looking for her. If you come with us we can search, together.”   
  
Aeldra and Ifig looked at each other. Aeldra thought it was a good idea, and Ifig agreed. But in that same vain, Aeldra faltered. “But who will take care of the garden while we’re gone?”

Yeri stuck his thumb to his chest. “We will! We’ve got nothing better to do, anyway!”  
  
Clera nodded. “I’m not quite adept with plants, but I do know enough to at least keep something like that going. And Yeri having water magic should help too.”   
  
Aeldra smiled. “Then it’s settled. We’ve got no time to waste!”

The two groups bid each other farewell and parted ways.

Once everyone was on board, Solum turned its head to look towards Maritte. “To Ikenfell?”  
  
Maritte shook her head. “No, we’ve got a place we want to stop first. Adevo City.”   
  
It nodded in confirmation. “Ah, understood. Let us be off.”   
  
It glanced back once more. “By the way, you might want to hold on.”   
  
The five grabbed on to whatever they could as Solum shot forward, kicking up a blast of water behind it.

* * *

  
  


They arrived at a corner of Adevo City in a matter of hours. “I’m afraid this is as far as I can take you. I don’t know how the ordinaries of this city would react to five people riding up on some massive water lizard. Given they aren’t magic folk like you.” Solum chuckled.

Maritte nodded. “No worries!”

They all got off of Solum’s back, setting foot on land once again.

“Will you need me to remain here, Maritte?”  
  
Maritte shook her head, smiling. “Nope! Thanks for the ride, Solum! If I ever find myself back there again, I’ll be sure to say hi!”   
  
Solum grinned. “Likewise. I’ll make an effort to get out more often!” It waved its arm goodbye, then dove back into the water.

Gilda nudged Maritte. “Please tell me taming some mythical beast was on your bucket list.”  
  
The group laughed, and proceeded into the city.

“Okay… I think I remember where she held her performance in the city. That’d be a good place to start looking.” Maritte led them down the street. The city was quite big and had a bit of a confusing layout, but Maritte remembered just enough of it to get them to where they needed to be.

The stage where she performed was no longer there, but what was there was three people. One was a police officer, and the other two were older adults with white puffy hair that resembled Pertisia’s.

“Huh. Well, that was easy.” Maritte remarked.

Aeldra nodded to Ifig, and they began their approach. Maritte and the others decided to hang back for the moment.

“-we’ll pay you good money for you to find her! She couldn’t have gone far, right!?” The man shouted.

The officer started sweating. “S-sir, I don’t know what to tell you. We haven’t seen your daughter-”  
  
The man shoved the officer out of the way. “Useless!” He ushered the woman to come with him, except she had seen who was approaching them. “I-it’s…”   
  
“YOU!” The man pointed a finger at Aeldra. “You! Where’s Pertisia!?”   
  
Aeldra sighed. “Please, Walti. Angrily pointing your finger at me and yelling won’t magically make her appear.”

Walti looked like he was about to go ballistic. “Answer the QUESTION-”  
  
The woman put her hand on his shoulder, shushing him. “Look, he’s been having a hard time coming to terms with her disappearance, and I’m worried for her safety. Can you tell us anything?”   
  
Ifig nodded. “Of course. We worry about her too. How about we talk somewhere a bit more private?”   
  
The four proceeded towards the park that was within the city.

Maritte gestured for the others to follow. “Once they’re done, I have some words for her parents as well.”

Gilda took Maritte’s hand. “I’m not good at this kind of thing but… I’ll help in any way I can!”  
  
Rook nodded. “Likewise. Let’s go.”

…

“So let me ask you something, Walti. Have you ever considered what your daughter’s true talents are?” Ifig leaned forward.

“Well I… um… you see, she…” Walti sighed. “No. I don’t have the slightest idea.”

Ifig hummed. “And Verosa, what about you?”  
  
Verosa sadly smiled. “She’s a wonderful singer, and an adept pianist. Her aptitude with magic only further helped bolster this.”   
  
Walti grumbled. “But where’s she gonna get if she keeps falling behind in school? She had no choice but to focus on her subjects!”   
  
Aeldra shook her head. “You have to know when to balance academics and hobbies. Especially when those hobbies are something someone is really passionate about.Is it really right for you to squander their talent? Have you even seen what she’s capable of?”   
  
Walti shrunk in on himself. “N-no…”   
  
Verosa, to everyone’s surprise decided to step in. “Dear, let me ask you something now. If our girl didn’t do well in school, would you even care for her at all? What would you REALLY see her as? A failure?”   
  
Walti bowed his head. “I… I don’t know.”

He stood up, looking on in shame. “Excuse me.” Walti walked away. Verosa swore she could hear a sniff come from him as he went away.

She tiredly sighed, slumping forward. “I’m terribly sorry that I wasn’t more assertive towards him sooner. My girl has been suffering right under my nose this entire time, and I had no idea!” Verosa frowned. She really had let her down, hadn’t she?

Ifig weakly smiled. “I’m sure she’d forgive you, both of you, but you have to promise both her and yourselves that both of you will do better going forward.”  
  
Verosa quickly nodded. “Y-yes, of course! Anything for my little girl…”

Aeldra got up from her seat. “I don’t think Pertisia is here now, but keep an eye on any major cities and towns. She’s a traveling performer. She’s probably gone up to neighboring towns and cities by now. If you hurry, you may catch her.”

Verosa quickly thanked them both and went off to go find Walti before she began her search.

“That went better than expected.” Ifig commented.

Aeldra smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “All thanks to you, love.”  
  
Ifig’s cheeks flushed. “Let’s go say goodbye to them now. Who knows how long it’ll be before we meet again?”   
  
…

“So you must be Perty’s father.” Maritte asked Walti, who was passing her by, head bowed.

He stopped, glancing her way. “What do you want?” He faintly mumbled, almost trembling.

“Do you understand what it’s like to have someone suffer in silence, right in front of you? Do you understand what it’s like to be held back from your full potential? Do you even understand how it feels to not get emotional support when you need it? To be truly alone?”  
  
Walti’s expression remained grim. “No.” He stated simply, voice devoid of emotion. There was no denying it anymore.

Maritte was glaring right at him, but her face softened. She shakily sighed. “She needs support now more than ever. She thinks you don’t care about her. You need to prove her wrong. Right now.”  
  
Walti remained still, not reacting to Maritte’s words. “Did you hear me? I said-”   
  
Walti let out a few tears, trembling. “I know. I know. I’ve already heard it. I know I’m a terrible parent. I should’ve listened to Verosa. She was always better at this parenting thing than me…”   
  
He sadly glanced up to Maritte. “For far too long, I think I’ve failed to see the big picture. This failure has cost me the most important thing in the world to me… my daughter.” He sniffed.

Maritte sadly smiled. “You can start trying now, though. It’s not too late to find her and start over.”  
  
Walti slowly nodded.

Verosa approached Walti. “Dear, if you’re done sulking, we’ve got our daughter out there who needs us more than ever!”

Maritte held up her hand. “Wait!”  
  
Verosa paused, looking at Maritte expectantly.   
  
“May I help?”

Verosa and Walti exchanged looks. “I guess we’ll need all the help we can get. Never got your name by the way.”

Maritte grinned. “Maritte Hildegaard!”

Verosa went wide eyed. “Wait, Hildegaard? That Safina had a sister this whole time?”  
  
This was news to Walti too, but was relieved. He huffed. “Well. If you were HER I would’ve declined, but I think you’ve proven yourself quite different. If you find anything you can write to us, and we will do the same to you if we find her.” Pertisia had told him and Verosa about her earlier on when she was her friend, but that saw quite a radical shift since the incident.   
  
Verosa warmly smiled. “Now, let’s go!” She yanked Walti by the hand and ran off to begin their search, Walti dropping a slip of paper on the ground.

Maritte picked it up, looking it over. Looked like their mailing address. Guess she had something else to do once she got back.

“I’ll help too! Next time we find her we’ll give her a great big hug!” Gilda pumped her fist, grinning.

Rook nodded. “I’ll do my best to help in any way I can.”  
  
Maritte smiled, pocketing the slip of paper. “Thanks you two, that really means a lot to me.”

Aeldra and Ifig approached. Aeldra waved. “Glad to finally have that off my chest. You’re heading back to Ikenfell, correct? Mind if we accompany you to the port?”

Maritte hummed, then looked over at Gilda who was silently protesting against leaving.

“Actually, we wanted to explore this place a bit more. We didn’t get the chance to passing through the first time.” Maritte looked just in time to see Gilda subtly celebrate.

Ifig warmly smiled. “That sounds like fun!”  
  
Maritte gestured for everyone to follow. “Then what are we waiting for?”

They wandered around the city in no particular direction. This place was really something. It was quite different from the magic world.

They grabbed a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants, then went to a theater to go and watch a play. Maritte, practically being a walking bank with her gold coins, decided to buy a few items at a store. One of them was a cellphone, which Rook seemed particularly interested in. Said something about taking it back to Ikenfell to study. She also bought Gilda a bright yellow dress as a gift, which she absolutely adored. She even treated herself to one too, this one in red.

After spending a few hours exploring the town and its many activities, they decided it was time for it to finally come to an end.

The group parted ways with Aeldra and Ifig at the port, and they got on board the ship which would take them back to where they came.

“That place was an absolute treasure trove! Gonna be busy for awhile I bet taking in all these findings!” Rook had clearly the trip very much. Maritte and Gilda did too, and also did find the discoveries fascinating, but they had their own reasons. Their own… _romantic_ reasons.

They all decided to get some well deserved rest. Maritte and Gilda curled up together in bed, Gilda determined to ward off those nightmares. Maritte was extremely grateful. And Gilda… Gilda tried very hard to keep her composure.

Rook couldn’t help but find the whole thing adorable, as much as he relentlessly teased them.

* * *

“Okay, so Nel told me they’d meet me here. Guess we’ll wait until they show up.”  
  
After a few minutes, Petronella emerged from the hidden path. “Rook!”

Rook grinned. “Nel! Good to see you!”  
  
Petronella looked over to see Maritte and Gilda standing there as well. “Oh! Maritte, Gilda! Good to see you too!”   
  
Maritte smiled. “How’s the Coven?”   
  
Petronella’s face lit up. “It’s amazing! It’s everything I had hoped it would be and then some! These items that Rook brought should help me complete my biggest project yet.”   
  
Maritte raised her eyebrows. “Biggest project yet? What is that?”   
  
Rook already knew. “They plan to find a way for Ibn to control his power. You remember it?”   
  
Maritte went wide eyed. “Wait, really? I didn’t know that could be cured!”   
  
Petronella softly smiled. “There’s the possibility that it can’t. But I won’t know until I try, huh?”   
  
Rook turned to Maritte and Gilda. “I’m going to talk to Nel for a bit longer, you two can go on without me. I’ll meet you lovebirds at Ikenfell later!” Rook chuckled at the last bit.

Maritte and Gilda blushed slightly. “A-alright then. Bye Nel, bye Rook!” They waved and parted ways.

Rook turned back to Petronella, pulling out his notebook, now filled to the brim. “You won’t believe some of the things I found out there…”

…

At last, Maritte and Gilda arrived back at Ikenfell, sat inside what was once Safina’s room, on the bed.

“That was fun! I’m glad I went on that trip with you.”

Gilda grinned. “Yup! But… what now?”  
  
Maritte tilted her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”   
  
Gilda sighed. “The next term is only a few weeks out. You’re sure you want to become a student here?”   
  
Maritte didn’t even have to think to answer that question. “Absolutely. Besides, I’m sure I’ll be fine with you to help lead the way~” Maritte smirked at Gilda.

Gilda’s face went red. “O-of course! I’d have it no o-other way!”

Their hands overlapped.

“We’ll face the future together. And I promise you, Maritte, that we will overcome its hurdles!” Gilda held her fist up for emphasis.

Maritte giggled, sharing her enthusiasm. “That sounds lovely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! I'm super proud of this one. I like to think I did pretty okay on my last two but this is one where I could actually step back and go: "hey, you know what? this is not half bad at all."
> 
> I will be taking a small break after this one. I'll be publishing my headcanon comp here soon-ish and will be updating that at random. I have a few more stories planned yet, but I do have a very ambitious project (for me at my skill level at least) I want to attempt in the near future.  
> Of course, take that with a grain of salt because I literally started writing this one mere days after I completed my second fic.
> 
> If you have made it this far, thank you so much for reading. And thank you all for the kind comments, it truly means a lot to me. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!
> 
> Take care :)


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